


To Save A Friend

by Athedreamer



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Ahsoka Tano Needs a Hug, Ahsoka tries to help everyone, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Ahsoka Tano, How Do I Tag, If only she could, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Occasionally Dark Ahsoka Tano, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, first ever fanfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:48:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 84,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22638715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Athedreamer/pseuds/Athedreamer
Summary: It has been 5 years since the Empire was born, 5 years since order 66 and 5 years since Ahsoka last spoke with anyone she knew of her old life. That is until she gets the news that Obi-Wan Kenobi is still alive and on Tatooine. Meeting him again and learning of everything that happened set of a chain of events Ahsoka had never expected, but who wouldn’t do everything to save your friends? Even when one of them is a murderous Sith Lord who tries to have her captured.Or: Ahsoka finds out who Darth Vader is a lot earlier and does not agree with it. She will do everything she can to drag his ass back to the light, even if it’s the last thing she does.*ON TEMPORARY HIATUS*
Relationships: Ahsoka Tano & Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 174
Kudos: 283





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first ever fanfiction that I wrote. And God am I nervous. I had this idea in my head for weeks now and with the trailer of Clone Wars season 7 dropping I couldn't stop thinking. I was planning on waiting until that was finished but honestly, who is good at waiting anyway. So here goes nothing I guess. Just wanted to get it out there.  
> Please note that English isn't my first language so if you see any mistakes don't hesitate to point them out! I'm a perfectionist so :)
> 
> DISCLAIMER: THIS STORY WAS CREATED BEFORE TCW S7 AND THUS DOES NOT COMPLETELY FOLLOW THE TIMELINE. I HAVE WRITTEN IT SO THAT IT FOLLOWS CANON UP UNTIL THE POINT THAT AHSOKA ENGAGES IN HER FIGHT WITH MAUL ON MANDALORE.

It has been five years since the Empire rose out of the ashes of the Republic. Five years since the Siege of Mandalore. Five years since the clones turned on their Jedi generals. Ahsoka remembers it like it was yesterday. Every moment still vivid in her mind. Sometimes, on the rare occasions that her body allowed to sleep, she dreamt about it. Every moment would play out frame by frame as if it was one of those stupid, cringy holodramas she used to watch with Anakin.

Tonight was one of the nights that was claimed by these flashback dreams.

* * *

She was fighting Maul in the throne room. They were evenly matched, there was no end in sight yet for their battle, when suddenly blaster fire engulfed them both. Familiar, blue bolts which Ahsoka knew belonged to the Republic Army, her troopers.

At first, Ahsoka was relieved, thinking Rex and the rest of the 332nd came to help her. With Maul being distracted by the blaster bolts, she managed to gain a few meters away from him, giving the troopers space to shoot him and at the same time giving herself a breather. Yet to her complete surprise the bolts followed her. They were shooting at _her_. She blocked the first few bolts before finding cover. She looked back to check if it really were the clones of the 332nd, hoping very hard they weren’t.

Yet to her disappointment it, they were.

Ahsoka remembers running. As fast as she could with as much cover as she could find. Blocking bolts here and there. She needed to get out of the building. She needed to know what was happening. Did they turn on her? What had she done to them? Maybe, just maybe it was only a few, but deep down she knew that wasn’t true. When she got to the square where the rest of the clone troopers were, she was immediately shot at. Again.

Ahsoka knew she was doomed if she stayed here any longer. She needed a ship. Enhancing her speed with the Force, Ahsoka made for the shipyard close by. That was her only hope, she needed to get off world. She was formulating a plan in her head while making her escape there, only to be let down when she arrived. Most of the ships had been destroyed. How was she going to get off world now?

Ahsoka’s hope started to dwindle slowly. But then suddenly, on the other side of the yard, was a very small ship. The only one flyable by one person that was still intact. Ahsoka made a break for it and noticed the hostile fire in her direction had lessened. When she shortly looked back, she saw that Maul had followed her and that the clones were shooting at him as well. This was her chance. She got to the ship and got in. She fired it up, which got the attention of the clones again. They began shooting at the ship, but after all these years flying with Anakin, she knew how to evade hostile fire as one of the best. Her former master and she used to get in a lot of trouble. It was only natural.

Ahsoka made for orbit and prepared for the jump to hyperspace, only to notice she couldn’t make it to Coruscant, for the ship did not have enough fuel. Another disappointment. But she could deal with that. It would be fine.

Her next best bet for a planet would be Onderon. It was closest by and only a small detour compared to other planets. When the coordinates were set, Ahsoka jumped to hyperspace.

When the blue glow of hyperspace surrounded her, Ahsoka finally felt like she could breathe again. She’d escaped. She was safe, at least, so she thought. She went over everything that had happened in such a short period of time on Mandalore. It had to be figured out, and fast. She tried to contact the Temple, but communications on the ship were cut off. Because of course they were. It could never be easy. Well, she would just have to contact them when she got to Onderon.

The trip to Onderon was uneventful. Ahsoka kept checking if she was being followed but found nothing on the scanners. After what felt like hours she dropped out of hyperspace and was cleared to land in one of the spaceports. She made for the inner city at once, needing to find some form of communication.

The first thing Ahsoka noticed when she made her way into the square were all the Holo-projections. They were everywhere. It was a broadcast of a man hidden under a dark cloak, his face concealed. She stayed and watched. She recognized the voice as that of Chancellor Palpatine. With every word she heard, she felt more hopeless. He spoke of the rise of an Empire, the treasonous acts of the Jedi, and the fate that would befall every single one of them, if they were ever found.

Ahsoka knew that Anakin and Obi-Wan were on Coruscant not long ago. She immediately felt for her bond with Anakin, only to find… nothing. He wasn’t there. The bond was silent. To say she felt panicked was an understatement. She shielded her mind immediately, hoping people wouldn’t notice she was a Force user. She needed to get in contact with the Jedi, needed to know who was still there.

While Ahsoka made her way to the city she heard more and more things of what had transpired on Coruscant. The HoloNet displayed images of a burning Temple and told stories of every Jedi currently there having been killed. The more she heard, the more she feared for the faith of her former master. The fact she couldn’t find him in the Force, no matter how hard she tried, didn’t help.

Finally, after a lot of searching, Ahsoka found a universal comm. She typed the code to the Temple frequency, only to receive a hologram before she could call anyone. It was master Kenobi.

“This is master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I regret to report that both our Jedi order and the Republic have fallen, with the dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place. This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi. Trust in the Force. Do not return to the Temple. That time has passed, and our future is uncertain. We will each be challenged. Our trust, our faith, our friendships. But we must persevere and in time a new hope will emerge. May the Force be with you, always.” Then the message cut out.

Ahsoka had tears in her eyes. The Order had fallen. Her friends, people she thought of as family, they were all gone. Obi-Wan just confirmed that to her. Well, at least she knew he was still alive. She still had no clue about Anakin’s fate. All she knew now was that she _had_ to survive. She had to remain alive, to help when and where she was needed. It was all she could do. She had to disappear.

* * *

Ahsoka startled awake again. Her memory induced nightmare leaving her sweaty and breathless. She calmed down slowly as she thought, once again, about the events that has just played out in her mind.

Because here Ahsoka was, 5 years later. Still no idea of where to go and what to do. She had no idea who was alive and who got killed. The Jedi were gone. She’d heard of the Emperors enforcer and his inquisitors hunting down all that remained.

5 years ago, she knew that Obi-Wan had survived, but of that Ahsoka wasn’t even certain anymore. Every few months she moved from city to city, planet to planet, gathering information and evading the new stormtroopers that the Empire was rapidly deploying all over the galaxy. She was currently on Kijimi, blending in with the local population. The fact that she was Togruta made that harder, but she’d managed so far. She was looking for information on the remaining Jedi and the locations of the brunt of the Empire’s forces.

The information Ahsoka had gathered so far had not been much, but enough to keep tabs on the Empire and where they would be so she could evade them. Several contacts were on her list of trusted people. Over the last few years she got in contact with people who either didn’t believe in the Jedi’s betrayal or those who hated the Empire—which were mostly smuggles. They contacted her when new information came to light that would interest her.

And despite the fact that today was a horrible day, it got a little better when Ahsoka’s comm went off. It was one of her contacts, a human boy whose real name she would probably never know, but it didn’t matter. He’d proven his worth to her. He told her he was currently on Tatooine and had gotten news of a certain ‘Ben Kenobi’ living in the mountains off the settlement of Anchorhead.

This was Ahsoka’s first real lead to a person she knew since before the rise of the Empire. She didn’t hesitate and immediately made her way to her ship that she’d kept after taking it from Mandalore five years ago. Repairs had been done of course, but thanks to various jobs—which were a little shady but all she could manage without giving her information, okay—she got the recourses to make it fully functional. When she got on board, she immediately made the preparations to leave. She would go to Tatooine and hopefully she would find Obi-Wan there.

A strange feeling fell over her, something she hadn’t had in 5 years.

Hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this was the prologue. I have most of this story mapped out already and hope to update every one or two weeks. Please let me know how I did on this, I'm so nervous it's crazy. If you have any good idea's for me, also let me know ;)


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka meets Obi-Wan on Tatooine. She finally learns what happened to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I said I would update once a week, but then I went and wrote 3 more chapters.  
> I thought, why not post one now? So here you go :D

Obi-Wan sat on a hill overlooking a small home in the middle of the desert. A child was seated in the sand, playing with self-made toys while his uncle was working on some stuff. Of what he was doing, Obi-Wan didn’t have a clue. They were moisture farmers. It was a common job among the people on Tatooine. He watched the child every day, seeing how he was doing and if he was okay – if he was still there – and he didn’t mind at all.

Obi-Wan had been sitting there for what felt like forever, careful to stay out of sight so that he wouldn’t be noticed. It has been going like this for 5 years. Ever since he brought the child to his family. He made sure not to get too close, but it was hard. This was the last part he had left of his former apprentice and friend.

Tatooine’s twin suns had already started to set by the time Obi-Wan left to go back to his own ‘home’. If you could call it that. It was a small space hidden in the rocks. He walked back, not minding the silence and duration of the walk. He never thought he was one of those people who could truly live in exile, but he managed. He found it quite alright actually. He deserved it, after he’d failed as a Jedi. He had a lot of time to think about what had happened and how things could’ve gone differently.

* * *

By the time Obi-Wan arrived the suns had fully set, only casting a faint orange glow on the now otherwise dark and endless sandy plains. He was just about to enter when he saw a person waiting near the entrance. His steps faltered. The person wore a cloak with the hood up. The dark glow from the passing sunset making it impossible to make out anything other than the fact that it was a person of some kind. He pulled his lightsaber from his belt and held it in his hand defensively, not knowing what to expect. He approached cautiously, taking slow and careful steps. He used to Force to see if he could sense anything. This person was Force sensitive, that he could feel. He probed at its mind, only to find that the shields that were in place suddenly came down and a familiar Force presence took its place. He couldn’t believe it. The person took off her hood and turned around.

There she stood, no longer a teenage former Padawan but a young Togruta woman. Her lekku had grown longer and her montrals stood higher. Obi-Wan knew it had been five years, but she looked so much older. Yet when he thought about it, he probably did too. They stared at each other for a few seconds before the woman’s face revealed a smile.

Obi-Wan spoke first. “It’s so good to see you Ahsoka,” he said, taking a few steps forward and putting his lightsaber back on his belt.

“Same goes for you master,” Ahsoka said, her smile growing wider.

They pulled each other in a short hug. It wasn’t something they would normally do, ever. But after everything that had happened – no matter that they didn’t know the details about each other’s lives yet – they felt like this was the right thing to do.

“I can see you have seen and been through a lot,” Obi-Wan said, again looking at her. Who could blame him, Ahsoka’s clothes looked very obviously worn out and her face looked weary.

“I could say the same for you, master,” Ahsoka said. She knew she looked older and wearier, but it was very obvious from just seeing him that the last 5 years had taken a toll on him. It looked like he had been through more in these 5 years than in his entire life before them. And that was saying a lot, knowing how Obi-Wan was during his time within the Order.

“That’s also why I’m here,” she said after that. “I haven’t spoken to anyone since the Empire rose to power. I have no idea what happened. To anyone. You are the first person that I know is alive. And I just... I would like to know what happened,” she finished.

Obi-Wan looked down for a second. “Let’s get inside,” he said then. “It’s not safe out here at night and you must be exhausted from your travel. Do you still like tea?” he asked as he made his way inside and signaled for Ahsoka to follow.

Ahsoka did as he instructed. She answered his question about drinking tea, taking notice of the fact that he hadn’t said a thing about what happened and questioned if he would tell her. What happened must be hard on him, for him to not say anything at all. She would let him get settled for a while. She did show up unannounced after all.

They drank tea in silence, both just enjoying having familiar company that they could trust. Ahsoka thought it was nice, having the familiar Force presence of master Kenobi around. His entire presence radiated with calmness and reassurance. Something she hadn’t felt and had in 5 years. But after 15 minutes of silence she got too curious. She couldn’t help it. One could not train years under Anakin Skywalker and discover the art of patience. His skill in patience was even less than none. Thinking about that made her think even more of the faith of her former master.

“Master, what happened? Surely you must know more than I do. I have been dying to know if any of my friends survived.” Ahsoka looked down. “Especially Anakin,” she added softly.

“No need to call me master Ahsoka, the Order is gone, we’re equals here,” Obi-Wan said. Ahsoka waited for him to say more but nothing came. She let out a frustrated sigh to which he reacted. But what he said did nothing to lessen her desperate curiosity.

“It’s late, we should get some rest. Tomorrow I will tell you more about it all, I promise,” Obi-Wan had said. And a promise form Obi-Wan Kenobi must not be taken lightly. Ahsoka was confident he would tell her. Tomorrow. With that thought in mind she went to her assigned sleeping space in his small rocky home and went to sleep.

* * *

Ahsoka woke up when the twin suns of Tatooine were already pretty high up in the sky. She hadn’t slept this well in so long. Constantly feeling on edge and afraid someone would give her Force nature and position away to the Empire. Now, being here with Obi-Wan made her feel a lot safer. Speaking of Obi-Wan, she now noticed she was alone in the small home. She quickly got up, fighter instincts kicking in. She carefully made her way outside, and thank the Force, there he was. Drinking tea in the sunlight. It shouldn’t have surprised Ahsoka. Obi-Wan was known for drinking tea multiple times a day. He turned around, making it known he’d heard her coming. He handed her a cup and something to eat as breakfast. It wasn’t much, but she was used to that by now. Life on the run was different than normal life, or life in the war for that matter.

They again sat in silence for a little while. Ahsoka noticed Obi-Wan was meditating. She didn’t dare interrupt him. She may have left the Order, but she still remembered the importance of meditation to a Jedi. She decided to do a little meditation herself when after another little while she got pulled out by Obi-Wan.

“Walk with me,” he said. They got up. Obi-Wan picked up some rations and they were on their way. Where they were going? Ahsoka had no idea. Obi-Wan had been very vague with her ever since she got here.

* * *

It felt like forever before they got to their destination. Yes, Ahsoka was allowed to exaggerate, she couldn’t feel her feet anymore! She was so glad when Obi-Wan sat down on top of a hill. She sat down next to him. Not far from their position was a small homestead. A man and woman walked around with a small boy. Ahsoka couldn’t for the life of her guess his age, different species and all. She noticed Obi-Wan looking at the boy intently. She couldn’t help but seriously wonder what all this was about.

After a few minutes she decided to just voice her question. He had promised to tell her stuff. “What are we doing here? Who are these people?” Ahsoka asked. Obi-Wan looked at her.

“Those are Owen and Beru Lars. And that is their adopted son, Luke Skywalker,” Obi-Wan said as he looked back to the boy.

Ahsoka was speechless for at least a couple minutes. Skywalker?! What?! So many things were going through her head. Skywalker as in... Anakin Skywalker? Her former master?

“I don’t understand,” Ahsoka said, looking at the boy as well. “Are you saying…? Is this...?” She couldn’t finish her sentences, not daring to ask.

“Luke is Anakin’s son, yes,” Obi-Wan said. He didn’t look at Ahsoka. He just kept staring at the boy.

Ahsoka was again speechless. What the kriff? How was that even possible. Jedi weren’t allowed to have any kind of relationships. And now Anakin had a son?! Who even was the mother?

The moment Ahsoka thought of that question, she knew who the mother was. “It’s Padmé, isn’t it?” she asked. Obi-Wan nodded. Ahsoka looked back towards the child with sadness.

Ahsoka had learned of Padmé’s death a few months after the rise of the Empire. She was on Naboo at the time and it was everywhere on the HoloNet. ‘Our beloved senator and former queen has passed,’ and other headlines were everywhere. They were already working on a statue for a memorial. She was saddened by this news, for she viewed Padmé as a friend of sorts. To know that she hadn’t survived the fall of the Republic was horrible. Ahsoka had mourned her for sure.

Now this begged the question: did that mean Anakin was dead too? Since their child was here, with others. She was almost afraid to ask the question, but she had to know. “I know she passed away, but what about Anakin. Please don’t tell me he’s gone,” Ahsoka pleaded.

Obi-Wan said nothing. He didn’t know how to say this to Ahsoka. Yes, technically Anakin was gone but not in the way she thought. Yet he might as well be. He decided to say nothing. He’d explain to her, someway, somehow. He would. “We should talk somewhere else. We don’t want them to notice us or anyone to listen in on this conversation,” he eventually said.

Ahsoka didn’t take his silence to her question all too well. It could only mean one thing. Anakin was gone. Grief overtook her. She should’ve seen it coming. His Force signature had been gone for a long time now. All the evidence was there, but she had never wanted to accept it. Without saying a word, Ahsoka got up to follow Obi-Wan to someplace more secure. She would finally find out the truth.

* * *

They settled down a short walk from the Lars Homestead when Obi-Wan began his story.

“You probably know Palpatine is the Emperor. But that’s not all there is to his story. Palpatine was the Sith Lord we’d been looking for, and we figured it out too late. Apparently, he’d been grooming an apprentice within the Jedi Order. Unknown to said knight and to us. By the time both had figured it out, it was too late. One of our own betrayed us, turned to the Dark Side and slaughtered many. He led the attack on the Temple with the clones. Every single one of the Jedi present were killed, even the younglings.”

Ahsoka flinched at that. Who could do such a thing? Younglings, so innocent. They should’ve gotten a chance to escape or to be raised differently, but what did her opinion matter anyway. This happened 5 years ago, they were long dead. Worrying about their faith was useless now.

Obi-Wan continued “Palpatine issued Order 66. An order put into the mind of the clones to make them kill any Jedi on sight. That’s how all the Jedi on missions died.” He took a deep and shaky breath; this part was still hard on him. “Cody issued his troops to fire on me, almost ending my life. Had I not fallen in the water I would not be here. I thought the bond I had with the clones was good. Nothing like you and Anakin had with yours, but good anyway. Guess I was wrong.” He closed his eyes for a second.

Ahsoka could tell this was very hard on Obi-Wan. She decided to make it a little easier about sharing her experience. “I know what you mean. The 332nd attacked me as well. I was fighting Maul on Mandalore and suddenly we were being shot at. I barely escaped. I stole a small ship and planned to go back to Coruscant but couldn’t because the ship was broken. I made it to Onderon where I learned of what happened, but only in vague detail. Looking back, I was lucky. I probably wouldn’t be alive if I had gone back to Coruscant.” Ahsoka sighed. “How did none of us notice what Palpatine was doing? How did we not see that he was a Sith? How did we let this happen?” she asked, not really expecting an answer.

“We were so busy with the war – that he orchestrated as well. He played both sides on it – we had no idea what was really happening. We were so blind. The Order could never get back up from this failure. But okay, back to what you wanted to hear. I went back to Coruscant and met up with Yoda. We got to the Temple; it was abandoned. The feeling of death strong in the Force. By checking the security footage, I knew who the traitor was. I followed him to Mustafar where we dueled. The fight took a lot out of me, physically and emotionally. But I won, or so I thought. The fact that Darth Vader roams around the galaxy says enough,” Obi-Wan finished his story with a heavy heart. Regret radiated through the Force and he knew it. He knew Ahsoka would pick up on it.

All Ahsoka could think was how this was an awful story. She couldn’t believe Obi-Wan had to go through that. At least she now knew that Master Yoda was also still alive. Well, he’d been alive back then. Still, one question remained. Who betrayed the Order? The Republic? “Is Darth Vader Palpatine’s enforcer? Is that him? The knight that fell?” she asked carefully.

Obi-Wan didn’t look at Ahsoka. She deserved to know, but didn’t know if she could handle the truth. “Yes, Darth Vader is the fallen Jedi Knight, but I don’t think you want to know who he is, Ahsoka,” he said.

Ahsoka didn’t understand. She presented that with anger. “I do want to know! I had friends in the Order still! They’re gone! Anakin is gone! I want to know who did it! I will avenge them!” she almost screamed.

“I don’t want to ruin the image you have of him. I don’t want to ruin your friendship with him,” Obi-Wan said, still not looking at her.

Ahsoka thought hard. So, she was obviously friends with this Jedi. Obi-Wan said he was a knight. She didn’t have many friends who’d become knights. There was only one really and he was…

Her thoughts trailed off. No. It couldn’t be. Obi-Wan said he was dead. But on second thought, he didn’t. he hadn’t said anything when she had asked. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes. “No, it can’t be him. Don’t tell me it’s him,” she said, trying to keep it together. She heard Obi-Wan sigh. He put his hand on her shoulder.

“Anakin fell to the Dark Side. He became Darth Vader.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I'm not sure when I'll update next, tho.
> 
> In the meantime, don't hesitate to let me know what you think. I really appreciate feedback :)
> 
> Until next time!


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka deals with finding out what happened to Anakin.

Ahsoka figured it out already, but truly hearing it from Obi-Wan made it so much more real. She stood up abruptly.

“I need some space,” she said and started to walk away. She tried to stay calm, but the moment she was out of sight she started running. She had no idea where she was going, but she needed to get away from this. She couldn’t. It already haunted her. She crashed down into the sand and let out all her anger through the Force. she had the feeling she screamed as well, but didn’t really know if that was in her mind or in real life. She felt the powerful surge she’d released through the Force and was sure that Obi-Wan had felt it too. She also knew he wouldn’t dare approach her now, just like he’d stayed away when something like this happened with Anakin-

Ahsoka didn’t dare finish that trail of thought. Anakin. Her former master. Her best friend. The one who had told her he would never let anyone hurt her. He’d murdered all of her friends. He’d betrayed everything they stood for. He’d betrayed **her**. How could he do this?!

After Ahsoka got all her frustrations out in the Force – and the sand. Don’t judge. Sand’s not good for anything anyway – she got back up and walked further, leaving a huge crater behind. Without actively looking for it, she found herself back at the Lars Homestead. Luke was still playing outside, she saw. She sat down and watched him. Anakin’s son. Now she knew why he was here. His father had betrayed his family. He couldn’t raise a child as a Sith Lord. If only she had known. She could’ve helped, could’ve done something. She started crying, but she made sure she wasn’t heard by Luke or any of the others living here.

Ahsoka watched Luke play in the sand for what felt like forever, silently crying and thinking about the past. Mainly the question: what if she had stayed? Would Anakin have fallen to the Dark Side if she’d been there for him? Was it her fault? No! stop it Ahsoka! You can’t blame his stupid mistakes on yourself. He did this to himself. But she couldn’t help wondering.

Obi-Wan joined her after a while. “I’m sorry Ahsoka,” was the first thing he said.

“There’s nothing you have to apologize for,” Ahsoka said with a blank expression. She didn’t even know when she had stopped crying. She was sure the tearstains were still visible on her face, though. 

“I do, you haven’t gotten the whole story yet.”

“Then tell me. You’ve already told me what he did, although indirectly. What more could you hide.” There was a bitterness in Ahsoka’s voice that shocked even herself. She shouldn’t be mad at Obi-Wan. This was Anakin’s fault. She should blame Anakin. But the more she told herself that, the more impossible it felt to do just that.

Obi-Wan sighed. “Anakin had been having dreams. At that time, I had no idea what they were about, now I do. He had dreams of Padmé dying in childbirth. He was desperate to do something about it, all while not telling anyone what was really happening. I wish he would’ve told me, but I can see why he didn’t. I hurts to think he didn’t trust me enough, but I understand. Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious now, was there for Anakin. He’d apparently figured it out. He fed Anakin stories of how he could save her using the Dark Side of the Force. Anakin became desperate, I could feel it. Palpatine decided to make it worse by asking Anakin to take a seat at the Council for him. The Council didn’t agree, but in the end he was given a seat. The only thing different would be that he would not be granted the rank of master- “

Obi-Wan couldn’t finish his sentence because Ahsoka interrupted him. “He got into the Council but was no master? How is that even fair!” she exclaimed. She knew immediately that Anakin hadn’t dealt well with that. She wouldn’t have, either.

Obi-Wan continued. “It’s not. I see that now. But Master Windu had decided. After that I gave him the mission I told you about on Mandalore. He had to spy on the Chancellor. You already know he wasn't happy about that. Later he was the one who found out that Palpatine was the Sith Lord. Surprisingly enough, he reported it to the Council. I remember from a HoloCall that Windu would take a team of Masters up to the Chancellor to arrest him. The next thing I knew the clones attacked me. When I got back to Coruscant and saw Master Yoda we went to the Temple together. From the security footage I figured out Anakin had gone after the masters send to arrest Palpatine, against Mace Windu’s orders, and that every single one of them was dead. The bodies of the Masters were found, but Windu never was. We don’t know what happened to him. Thanks to the Temple recordings we knew it was Anakin and the 501st that attacked the Temple.”

Ahsoka got a shudder from that piece of information. The 501st battalion. The one she’d served with for the greater part of the war. They too murdered her friends. She decided to let it go for now and let Obi-Wan finish his story.

“I went to Padmé, telling her what had happened. I’d figured their relationship out by then. She was devastated by the news of what he had done. She knew where he went and decided to go to Mustafar to bring him back. I snuck on board her ship. Padmé tried to reason with Anakin, but it was too late. I knew I needed to stop him. But seeing me did not do him any good. He almost killed Padmé because he thought she’d betrayed him by bringing me with her. She fell unconscious but was still alive.

We fought afterwards. I didn’t lie when I said it was the hardest thing I had ever done. Eventually I won the duel, but it wasn’t pretty. I had to remove his remaining limbs to end it. He had become so powerful with the Dark Side. As the Chosen One, we knew he was powerful. We never expected it to go that far. He… he burned in the lava. I thought it was the end for him. I couldn’t watch him die, so I left. I saved Padmé and brought her to Polis Massa where she gave birth to twins. A boy and a girl. Luke and Leia. She died immediately afterwards. Senator Organa took in Leia and I brought Luke here. Yoda went into exile and so did I. I truly thought Anakin was gone, but I guess Palpatine saved him, because the stories of the new Sith Lord enforcer of the Emperor reach every part of the galaxy. It wasn’t hard for me to figure out it was him.”

Ahsoka took it all in in silence. She could hardly believe it. She didn’t know what to say. Eventually she decided to go with the one that hurt the least to talk about.

“So, there is another child of them on Alderaan?”

“Yes. From what I currently know she is their princess and is being loved and spoiled by many.”

Ahsoka nodded at that, although it hardly seemed fair. They were twins but one was obviously better off than the other. Oh, if only they had their parents. Did the boy know that these weren’t his parents? She was really tempted to go down there and tell him about his parents and that she’d known them.

Obi-Wan and Ashoka stayed and watched the Lars family for a little while longer in silence. Both thinking about what had happened and what was to come.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent mostly in silence. Ahsoka knew this wasn’t how she usually acted, but who could blame her. She’d just gotten the awful news of what had happened. It was a lot to take in and she wasn’t managing that all that well at all. Obi-Wan had made no move to break her non-stop thinking and pondering. She got the feeling that he didn’t really speak all that much anymore in general. She could understand. He’d truly distanced himself from any kind of society.

Ahsoka could never live like this. She needed people around her. She was a Togruta after all. They worked better in groups. To be alone like this, to put yourself in a situation like this, Ahsoka could never do that to herself. That was also one of the reasons she knew she couldn’t stay here with Obi-Wan. Yet she was too afraid to say that to him.

Ahsoka went to bed the moment they got back to Obi-Wan’s home. She was exhausted from being angry and all the thinking and crying she’d done. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t fall asleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see visions of Anakin slaughtering younglings in the Temple. She would open her eyes again with tears threatening to leak onto her face, only to try and make sure the tears never left her eyes and try to keep them open.

After several hours of trying but failing to get some rest, Ahsoka decided to get up. She remembered Obi-Wan said the desert was dangerous at night, but she couldn’t bring herself to care about her safety right now.

Ahsoka walked out of the small cave home and made her way up a hill. She looked at the stars and sighed. She focused on the bond with her master, finding it ever dormant as always. Now knowing it didn’t mean he was dead but that he fell, and hard.

Right then and there she made a promise to do better for the galaxy. She couldn’t sit here and do nothing. She would help those that needed her, for that was what Padmé would’ve done. She would fight for the people enslaved by the Empire, for that was what Anakin would’ve fought for, had he still been himself. But she wouldn’t only do it for herself. She wasn’t there to keep Anakin from falling, so she owed it to the galaxy to make it up to all of them. She would fight, one way or another.

With that in the back of her mind she went back to bed, finally falling into a restless sleep. She felt herself slip away with the final thought that tomorrow she would start making things better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a little bit shorter chapter, but there was a lot of emotional stuff going on okay. There had to be compromise.
> 
> Please don't forget to leave a comment or some feedback if you want to. It's greatly appreciated :)


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ahsoka takes the first step to fight for the Galaxy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to get this chapter out there as a celebration for release of Clone Wars season 7! Which I was so excited about that I haven't slept for the better part of the night. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Dawn had arrived and Ahsoka woke up with the rising of the suns. She noticed Obi-Wan had woken as well. She wouldn’t let the silence rule this day. She immediately made her way over to him.

“I’m sorry Obi-Wan, but I can’t stay,” Ahsoka stated. It came out so very simple but held so much meaning behind it.

“I know,” Obi-Wan said, to Ahsoka’s surprise. Though she should’ve seen it coming. Obi-Wan was known to see through people’s exterior.

“You want to go and help the galaxy. And I won’t stop you. I think you would be the right person to help save it. The galaxy needs people like you in it to help it onto the right path,” Obi-Wan finished.

Ahsoka felt that it was too much praise. She didn’t think she was that important. All she wanted to do was make up for her mistakes.

“Thank you for understanding. It has been great seeing you again and knowing that you are alright-“ Ahsoka cut herself of. They weren’t alright. “For as fine as we can be considering the circumstances I guess,” she corrected herself.

Obi-Wan gave her a small smile. He understood. “I would advise you go to Alderaan. I have it on good authority that Senator Organa has people who try to help the Galaxy in just the way you want.”

“I’ll go there. Thank you. It means a lot to me, that you’re helping me.”

“If I may just ask one favor,” Obi-Wan started, “like I said yesterday, Leia lives with them. I haven’t spoken to them in years, would you mind checking up on her. Maybe you could do for her what I do for Luke.”

Ahsoka smiled at that. Leia, Anakin’s daughter. She would get the chance to meet her. Obi-Wan specifically asked her to. How could she say no to something like that? “Of course. I’ll check on her. I would like to meet her, anyway”.

Obi-Wan again smiled at that statement. “It’ll be a long journey. You would be wise to leave as soon as possible. Come, I’ll go with you.”

And with that said they both left to Mos Eisley, where Ahsoka had left her ship in order to search for Obi-Wan. He got her some supplies for the journey, against her protests that it wasn’t necessary. He insisted, and in the end, she couldn’t win against his generosity. He walked with her to her ship.

“Take care Ashoka. I hope that you’ll find what you’re looking for,” Obi-Wan said. “But do be careful,” he added hastily.

Now it was Ahsoka’s turn to smile at him. “You too master.” She pulled something out of her small bag which carried an even smaller amount of stuff. She held her hand out for Obi-Wan to take what was in it.

Obi-Wan looked at it hesitantly. “It’s a secure commlink,” Ahsoka said. “So we can stay in contact. Most of the people I’m in contact with have one. We survivors must stick together after all,” she finished sheepishly. The fact that Obi-Wan was hesitant made her insecure. Didn’t he want to be able to contact her?

Her insecurity must have been obvious through the Force, because Obi-Wan commented on it. “It’s not that I don’t want to stay in contact with you, Ahsoka. I just don’t want them to be compromised so the Empire will find us,” he said.

Ahsoka could understand, but so far, they hadn’t picked up on her frequency or they would’ve already been here to arrest her. “It’s safe,” she said.

Obi-Wan sighed but took the commlink. “At least when you’re in trouble I’ll be able to come find you now,” he said. “May the Force be with you, always,” he almost whispered. Ahsoka understood why. Nobody was supposed to hear a sentence like that. It could give them away. “May the Force be with you as well,” she said. 

Ahsoka and Obi-Wan shook hands and then it was time for her to enter her ship. As soon as she was cleared for orbit she took off. The further she got, the more Obi-Wan’s Force signature faded. For a moment she hesitated. Was it really the right move to leave the one person she felt closest to right now? The one person who truly knew what she was going through. She quickly pushed the thought out of her mind. She couldn’t think like that. She wouldn’t cower away in a cave for the rest of her life. She needed to help make the galaxy better. For Obi-Wan to be able to live again, for Luke and Leia to grow up normally, for all the Jedi that have died at the hands of the Sith and for Anakin to return to the Light. With all that in mind she punched in the navigation code for Alderaan in the Navi computer and jumped to hyperspace.

* * *

Ahsoka’s flight took several hours in which she caught up on some much-needed sleep. The past few days had been so restless, but with this new purpose in mind she slept better for sure. She shook awake when the ship came out of hyperspace to hover outside of the planetary orbit of Alderaan. She contacted the spaceports of the capital city of Aldera, had to wait impatiently for a few minutes before she was cleared to land.

Ahsoka packed all the necessary stuff in her bag and put on her robes. She lowered the ramp and pulled the hood over her montrals, making sure it left her face in the shadows. Leaving her ship at the docking bay, she left for the inner city. Her mental shields were up to the highest of her capabilities. You could never be too careful, especially on a Core World like Alderaan.

Ahsoka moved gracefully through the city, making sure not to make any moves that would attract attention. The closer she got to the Royal Palace, the more nervous she got. She stopped a few meters short of the gates separating the palace grounds from the civilian part of the city. This was it. Oh, if only Bail remembered who she was, otherwise this was all for nothing. She slowly walked forward, when guards came up to her.

“State your business at the Palace!”

“I need to speak to Viceroy Organa,” Ahsoka said nervously.

“No civilian is allowed contact with the Royal Family. Move along.”

God, Ahsoka hadn’t been ordered around like that since the first time she’d met Anakin- no! Stop thinking about him! Right now, she needed to get inside! Convincing them probably wouldn’t work, but she’d been working on this trick for years now. Wouldn’t hurt to test if she could still use her ‘Jedi mind tricks’.

“ _You will let me inside,_ ” Ahsoka said casually while waving her hands in front of her, very inconspicuously.

“We will let you inside,” the guard repeated her as he moved away and opened the gate. She moved inside the gate and made her way up to the palace.

Ahsoka got quite far using her tricks before she was surrounded by guards who had picked up on her methods.

“STOP! DON’T MOVE!” they shouted at her. Ahsoka didn’t dare take a step. She couldn’t use her mind trick on that many people at the same time and fighting her way out would only contradict the reason she was here. In hindsight, she probably should’ve gone about this situation a different way entirely. Sneaking into the palace was a bad idea. What had she been thinking?

“Identify yourself! Remove your hood and put your hands on your head!” one of the guards said to her. She slowly moved her hand to her hood and was about to pull it off when a voice suddenly distracted her.

“What is going on here?” the familiar voice of Bail Organa was music to Ahsoka’s montrals. She quickly turned around to see the Senator walk up to them.

“Sir, this woman tried to infiltrate the palace!” one of the guards said again.

Ahsoka quickly took her hood off. “Senator Organa. It’s me, Ahsoka Tano. I was a padawan under Anakin Skywalker,” she said quickly. Please recognize me, please recognize me! She pleaded with the Force.

A pained look took over Bail’s face. Ahsoka didn’t really know why. Did Bail know about what happened to Anakin as well? That would be the only explanation.

At that moment a little girl came around the corner. “Daddy!” she said, as she hugged Bail’s leg. Ahsoka couldn’t help but stare at the girl. That should be Leia. Ahsoka was anxious to meet her. She moved to step forward but was ultimately blocked by the legion of guards still surrounding her. Right, she’d almost forgotten about them.

Bail held up his arm. “Leave her be. She can be trusted. She is welcome here,” he said as he smiled at Ahsoka.

Ahsoka let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. He didn’t see her as a hostile, thank the Force. The guards stepped away from her and she was able to cross the space towards the senator. He motioned for her to walk with him as he picked Leia up and walked away.

* * *

They arrived at the private part of the palace. Bail sat his daughter down and turned to Ahsoka. “It is good to see that another one of you has survived. Any Force user is hard to find these days. What made you come here?” he asked.

Ahsoka turned from looking at Leia. “I met Obi-Wan a few days ago. He told me everything that had happened and to come here to do something about it,” she said determined. Unconsciously her eyes went back to Leia.

Bail saw how Ahsoka’s attention seemed to have been on his daughter ever since Leia came into her view. “I assume you know of her then,” he simply said, also turning to Leia. It was obvious what he meant, but he couldn’t openly say it. Leia was being raised as their own right now. She had no idea her real parents were different people, who weren’t around anymore.

Ahsoka nodded. “Obi-Wan told me. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help. I thank you for taking her in. I know Anakin would thank you as well if he was still able to…” Ahsoka trailed off.

Bail understood. He knew the carefully calculated way Ahsoka talked about Anakin was because she didn’t know that he knew what had happened to him. “The fate that has befallen your master is regrettable, but I am glad you are still on the Light Side of things,” he said, putting the emphasis on ‘Light Side’ to make it known to her what he meant without truly saying the words. You never knew who was listening in.

Ahsoka’s eyes widened but she quickly collected herself. “May I talk to her?” she asked. Bail nodded. She slowly approached the little girl and crouched down.

“Hi Leia, I’m Ahsoka. I’m a friend of your daddy,” Ahsoka introduced herself. The hidden meaning behind her statement didn’t go unnoticed to Bail.

Leia looked at the new woman who had approached her. She looked different. She had never seen anyone like her before. “You look funny,” she said.

Ahsoka laughed. “Thank you. I’m not like you. I’m what they call a Togruta. That’s a different species than a human, like you,” she explained.

Leia was interested now. She slowly held out her hand towards Ahsoka’s lekku, silently asking permission to touch. Ahsoka granted it to her with a slight nod. Leia touched them carefully. They felt funny. She’d never seen anything like these things before.

Ahsoka stayed crouched next to Leia for a little while, explaining about herself and asking questions about Leia’s life. When Leia was done being curious and decided her toys were more interesting again, she turned away. that was Ahsoka’s que to get back up. She walked back to the senator who was currently seated on the couch, watching his daughter. Ahsoka sat next to him.

“She takes after her mother,” Ahsoka stated. Bail nodded. “You have no idea how much. Every day she reminds me more and more of Padmé.” He sighed.

They stayed quiet for a bit, watching Leia play with her toys. Ahsoka decided she’d had enough silence these few days and just threw her question out there.

“After what I heard about the Empire and the last few years, I can’t help but think that I want to help. Obi-Wan told me I was to come here to do that.”

Bail looked at her with an unreadable expression. Then he stood up. “I see. Let’s talk, then,” he said as he led her to a meeting room.

So, here it goes. She would join the fight for freedom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, like, I know that my discription of Alderaan is very much not accurate. But I was not in the mood to make it canonically accurate. It didn't fit with the story and this chapter was actually very hard to write.
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated. Comments and kudos are the way to a writer's heart :)


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka gets acquainted with the rebellion.

Ahsoka was led through several long hallways, which seemed to stretch on ‘till forever. She had the idea she was being led into the underground of the palace, but to be honest, she had no idea anymore. The only thing that Ahsoka did notice was the fact that the people around them changed. Just a minute ago they were surrounded by guards and other palace staff. Now all she saw were what could only be described as civilians who were trained to fight. Rebellion soldiers.

What Ahsoka also noticed was the fact that they seemed to pick up more people as they went. They rounded what felt like the 100th corner when she was suddenly being surrounded. Yeah, she should’ve seen that one coming. Several blasters, all different – another sign this wasn’t the army –, were pointed at her.

“Check her for weapons. Take everything that poses a threat,” a man said.

It was obvious to Ahsoka that he was the leader of this ‘squad’. One of them took her lightsabers off her belt. Another moved towards her and put Force suppressant cuffs on her.

Ahsoka didn’t dare resist. She wanted to join these people. Fighting them wouldn’t prove that fact. She stared at Bail, who had moved to stand next to the squad leader. The appeared to be talking, but she couldn’t hear what they were saying.

Ahsoka understood they had to be careful with everything. What confused her was the fact that she was welcome just now. He’d let her be with Leia. Why would he do that and contain her only a few minutes later? She didn’t dare voice that question out loud right now, though. She would get her chance.

“I’m sorry Ahsoka,” Bail said as he turned back to her. “We need to know you can be trusted. We have our reasons not to. Take her to interrogation.”

Bail then turned around and walked away, leaving Ahsoka behind with the squad. Chained and unarmed. They led her through several hallways, again. She was put into a small room with a table and two chairs.

Having spent years fighting in the war, Ahsoka knew what this was and what she was doing here. She understood, yet she still felt betrayed. The way she was put in this room made her feel like a criminal all over again, yet she was on their side.

Ahsoka sighed. She was left alone in the interrogation room for several long minutes. Usually, when something like that happened, she would use the Force to become familiar with her surroundings and with the people around her. Now though, being cut off from it, she felt empty.

Suddenly the door opened. Bail came in with a woman Ahsoka had never seen before. The woman said down in the chair opposite of Ahsoka and Bail stood off on the side.

Ahsoka looked from one to the other and back. She waited for one of them to say anything. Bail and the woman shared another look before she spoke up.

“Ahsoka Tano. Do you know why you are being held here?”

“I mean, I guess I can understand, but no. Not really. I was led to believe I was welcome here,” Ahsoka said with a sharp look at Bail.

“If you came here with the intentions you say you did, then you certainly are. The problem is that we don’t know that to be true,” the woman said, turning Ahsoka’s attention back to her.

Ahsoka didn’t understand. What other intentions could she have? She was hunted by the Empire. Ill intentions towards the rebellion would not do her any good. Yet they thought she could have those.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. What ill intentions could I hold against you?” she asked.

“We have reason to believe that you do, in fact, came here with ill intentions.” Again, the woman and Bail shared a look before she continued.

“Given your past acquaintances within the Order, we believe you might be here to infiltrate this base and get information to destroy us.”

Ahsoka was taken aback by that. They thought she was an Imperial spy?! Why would they-. She cut that thought off. Past acquaintances. Anakin.

“If you’re talking about my former master, I can assure you I haven’t spoken to him since before I left for Mandalore. The last battle in the Clone Wars I fought before the clones turned on the Jedi. I am not his Imperial spy. I have nothing to do with who he is now and who he works for.”

Ahsoka felt angry they would assume something like this of her. She could never turn down such a dark path. She may have left the Order, but that doesn’t mean she would join the Empire.

The woman stayed silent as she observed Ahsoka’s turmoil. This only made Ahsoka angrier. She tried to stay calm. She needed them to accept her. But she couldn’t keep it in.

“While fighting on Mandalore, I was suddenly attacked by my own men. Men who had volunteered to fight beside me and form a new battalion. I barely escaped and since then I have been hunted by the very same Empire you’ve just accused me of being a part of. If that’s the way this is gonna go, I don’t wanna be here anymore. I want to fight for this galaxy, because I failed it when I let Anakin become what he is now. I wasn’t there to stop him. I will be there to help the galaxy heal after my mistake of leaving him. That’s what I came to do. If you don’t want to let me do it with you, I will do it on my own.”

Ahsoka was standing now. She’d thrown out all her feelings. If they wouldn’t trust her, she didn’t really know where she would go, but she would figure that out. She wanted to help the galaxy. She didn’t necessarily need the rebellion to do that.

To Ahsoka’s surprise, the woman stood up and released the Force suppressant cuffs.

“That’s all we needed to hear,” Bail said. He motioned for Ahsoka to follow him out of the room, where a man was standing beside the door. He held out her lightsabers. She took them and hooked them back on her belt.

Ahsoka decided this was the time to ask her previous question from before she’d been interrogated. “If you didn’t know you could trust me. Why did you let me in your home? Why’d you let me go near Leia?”

“I believed you didn’t pose an immediate threat. If you came her with ill intentions, it would never have been to attack outright. You could only have come here to spy, which meant you wouldn’t harm any of us if we didn’t give you a reason to. I wanted to have you questioned. I knew that would work best if I got you to trust us too.”

Ahsoka didn’t say anything to that. It made sense after all. They continued walking.

“We have been doing our best to fight against the Empire and help groups of people escape their wrath. It’s a difficult fight. We must be careful. We can’t afford the attention of the Empire on us right now. We’re too small. A Jedi in our midst would help significantly.” Bail explained. Ahsoka nodded along, although she saw an error in his explanation.

“I’m not a Jedi, Senator. I left the Order. But I don’t think I could still be a Jedi, even if I hadn’t left. There’s nothing left of the Order to call anyone a Jedi.”

“I understand. Saddened as I may be by that statement I can see where you are coming from. But on to more serious matters. What did you have in mind to help the Galaxy, as you put it?”

“Anything I can help with. I just wanna do my part in making it a better place for the people.”

Bail thought for a bit. “We have many active operations going on right now. Any one of them could use a Force user like you. We have smugglers, who take supplies to oppressed planets. We have small groups of fighters, fighting off small squadrons of stormtroopers where they can, and we have rescue operations for the massive amount of slaves the Empire is taking-“

Bail couldn’t even finish that sentence. Ahsoka had already made up her mind. “I will help with the rescue operations. Anakin was a slave when he was just a child. He never told me about it, but Obi-Wan did. If I want to atone for the mistakes I made with him, I think it best that I start with what he hated the most and wanted eradicated from the Galaxy.”

Bail nodded in understanding. “Very well. Our main team is currently on base, I’ll take you to them.” And with that they continued down the endless halls of the rebellion base, hidden underneath the palace.

Ahsoka was taken to what could only be described as a small housing area for the rebellion. Bail knocked on a door and a human woman opened it. From what Ahsoka could guess she was around her age. “Senator, what can I do for you, Sir?” the woman asked. “Lorey, this is Ahsoka Tano. She will be joining you and your team on rescue missions for the foreseeable future. Ahsoka, this is Lorey, leader of our elite rescue team. They have helped several thousand slaves escape the Empire in the past 5 years. I’ll leave you to get acquainted.”

After Bail had introduced them, he left down the hall, leaving the two women alone. Neither of them said anything for a few seconds, just staring at each other and taking in one another’s appearance. Ahsoka decided to take the lead and properly introduce herself. “Hello, I’m Ahsoka Tano, as you just heard. I, uh, I just got assigned here, I guess. I used to be on the run before I-”

Ahsoka was rudely cut off from her introduction. “So, you’re a newbie eh. What can you offer my team? I don’t train new fighters. We’re the elite team for a reason,” Lorey stated coldly.

Well, not the welcome Ahsoka was expecting, but she’d been in the army. She was used to the business way of approaching things by now. Ahsoka pushed her rope open and lifted her lightsabers with the Force, displaying her abilities.

Lorey’s eyes widened. “You’re a Jedi?” she asked in disbelieve.

“Not anymore. I left the Order, but I can use the Force, yes. I used to be a Padawan and have been trained by several elite Jedi Masters. I fought as a commander in the Clone Wars. I have seen many battles and strategized several of them. I believe that these capabilities are worthy of being on your team,” Ahsoka said confidently.

Lorey was impressed but didn’t show it. Yet, Ahsoka could feel it in the Force. Lorey held out her hand. Ahsoka shook it. Lorey smiled. “It’s good to meet you Ahsoka. I think we will get along nicely.”

“I think so, too. So, tell me about your operations. I’m eager to get started.”

“You won’t be so eager once we’ve actually started.”

“You’ll be surprised.”

“Very well.” Lorey started explaining what their last mission had been and what they were planning on doing next. Ahsoka smiled. This felt like old times. Yeah, they would get along.

* * *

Next Ahsoka was introduced to ‘the team’. They consisted of 3 men and 2 women. They introduced themselves as Jax, Cornan, Deo, Thea and Dara. They all had their own expertise’s which complemented each other.

Jax used to be in Death Watch but defected because he didn’t agree with their believes anymore. He was a skilled fighter and trained in many forms of martial arts.

Cornan was the tech guy. He knew everything about every piece of tech you could give him. The only thing she got from him was that he came of a wealthy family but didn’t wanna talk about it.

Deo used to be a stealth operative for the Republic army before it fell. He used to live on the lower levels of Coruscant before signing himself up for the GAR. He was the one who usually got the team inside the slave transports.

Thea used to be part of a highly secretive Separatist operation that involved young women who were trained to become elite assassins. She was trained in the art of manipulations and persuasion. She’d gotten many Republic battle plans from high ranking clones she’d seduced. After the war she’d defected and joined the rebellion.

Dara was a slave herself before she was freed not that many years ago. when the Empire rose, they wanted to enslave her again, but she escaped. She joined the rebellion because she never wanted that to happen to anyone, ever.

Then came Lorey. She used to be a smuggler on the lower levels of Coruscant. Quite well known if Ahsoka was to believe her story. She’d trained in several styles of martial arts, was a master at stealth and knew her way around tech. she could do a little bit of everything. Ahsoka understood why she was the leader of the team.

Then it was Ahsoka’s turn to introduce herself. She decided, again, to just show them instead of talking. She did the same trick as she used on Lorey. She lifted her lightsabers off her belt with the Force. Everyone was awestruck at the sight. They swarmed around her with many questions.

“Are you a Jedi?”

“How many fighting styles do you know?”

“Did you serve in the war? What battalion were you in?”

“Can you do tricks with the Force?”

“Are those real Jedi lightsabers? Can I study them?”

Ahsoka almost didn’t know who to answer, but she’d been like that when she was younger with Anakin. Always asking questions. She calmly tried to answer every single one of them.

“I’m not a Jedi. I left the Order, but I used to be a Padawan before that. 

I know the basics of every fighting style there is. My master thought it was important to be able to handle myself in all of them.

I did serve in the war. I was the commander of the 501st.

I can do tricks with the Force; I was trained to do so.

And yes, they are real lightsabers and are very delicate. You may see them if you want, but no deconstructing them. I lost my original lightsabers when I left the Order. My former master made these for me before my last battle in the war. That was the last time I saw him before the purge.”

Ahsoka fell silent then. Everybody understood. The Jedi purge was known all over the Galaxy. Many believed the propaganda the Empire showed about that the Jedi were planning a coup and planned to take over. But none of these people thought that, at least. They felt sympathy for Ahsoka.

Dara spoke up. “We’re sorry for your loss Ahsoka, but sadly that’s what the Empire does. Everybody here has lost people to the Empire. You’re not alone,” she said with a warm smile.

Ahsoka was now sure that she was in the right place. She could start over and help the galaxy. Everything would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I made a few more OC's. I tried to think about their species, but ultimately decided against it. They're open for your own interpretation XD. (Lorey is human tho)
> 
> Comments and Kudos are very much appreciated :)


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to prepare for the first mission.

Ahsoka and her team had been training almost constantly for the past 5 weeks. The other 6 were already in tune with one another, but with Ahsoka as their new member they had to change strategies.

It took a while to figure out how this would work best now. Which role Ahsoka would take in this small team. What was obvious from the start was the fact that Ahsoka had a lot of battle training and was a master strategist. That led them to giving Ahsoka a leading position quite quickly.

At first Ahsoka didn’t want to take it. These people had been together for a while now, and she came in only recently and was put in a commanding position. Everyone assured her it was fine, though. Especially Deo, having been in the army and all. He knew Ahsoka, as a former Jedi, would be perfect for her new position as leader. Or co-leader to be exact. Lorey was still leader of the team as well.

* * *

Right now, Ahsoka was sparring with Jax and Thea. They were all using training swords – also known as wooden sticks according to Ahsoka – not lightsabers, much to her chagrin, but that was to be expected. This wasn’t the Order. They didn’t have training sabers.

Ahsoka got used to the ‘training swords’ quite easily though. Fighting with a real sword was very much the same as fight with a lightsaber. She didn’t want to brag, but she was totally winning against Jax and Thea. They were skilled, sure, but she had been trained in many different forms of lightsaber combat. She could implement all of them in this sparring session.

In fact, Ahsoka was _that_ good, that they decided it would be two against one. Jax and Thea had been given a little time to prepare a strategy to attack Ahsoka while she planned one of her own.

Suddenly Jax and Thea got back up and circled around her. Ahsoka got up and ready, holding her dual sticks up in defensive position. They charged at her from opposite sides, planning to overwhelm her.

Ahsoka, having sparred with Anakin and Obi-Wan at the same time on occasion, knew how to block the attack. She put one stick high and one low to block both attacks and pushed them back. Not with the Force. They’d made the rule that she wouldn’t use the Force during the sparring session, only if it was explicitly asked.

Both assailants were sent back a few steps and Ahsoka quickly scanned their stances to see who she could attack first. Jax recovered first, and she charged at him, one stick at the ready. She brought her stick down once she was in range and he blocked her. They exchanged several blows before she saw an opening and floored him using her other stick.

Then she turned around just in time to block an attack by Thea. Jax was more head on and full of strength, much like Anakin had been when they used to spar way back when. Thea, on the other hand, preferred a quick and swift attack, like Ahsoka herself. It almost seemed like they danced around each other. Exchanging blows only occasionally while constantly trying to get the other to fall.

In the end it was Jax that got Ahsoka to the ground. While Ahsoka made to attack Thea, he got his foot in her way and she tripped. She quickly recovered by rolling out of the way of the quickly descending stick of Thea, and in her move tripped her with one of her own sticks, swiping it low past her ankle. She quickly got up in a crouching position and held her stick at Thea’s throat. Jax made to attack but Ashoka saw an opening at his stomach and pointed her other stick there. This move rendered both of her opponents useless and they were at a standstill. It was obvious who had won the fight.

Yet, before one of them could comment on it, Lorey came into the training room.

“Good, you’re done. We have a mission.” She held out a datapad.

Ahsoka quickly got up and helped Thea get up as well. They put away their training swords and made their way over to Lorey. Ahsoka was the one who took the datapad.

“The Empire is enslaving Wookiees from Kashyyyk? Why?” she asked as she handed the datapad over to Jax who then began reading it.

“From what we know it’s for a secret project. They apparently need the manpower. And who better to use than Wookiees.” Lorey shrugged.

Ahsoka saw the logic behind the situation, but of course she didn’t agree. But she was also a little excited. Her first mission since joining the rebellion. Her first act of doing right by the Galaxy.

* * *

Lorey said they would depart in an hour and everyone left to prepare for the mission. Lorey also said they would be talking about the plan on the shuttle.

Ahsoka made her way to her quarters – she had her own living space now. She was so thankful – to get the stuff she would need for this mission. She changed out of her training outfit and put on the gear she’d kept of her fight on Mandalore.

She hadn’t touched this outfit in 5 years, but it was needed now. This was the best battle outfit she had. Her other, quickly throw together refugee outfit, wasn’t something she’d want to fight in, to be honest.

Ahsoka looked at herself in the reflection of a window. She saw her old self, 5 years ago, ready to fight again after having a year to reflect on herself. She remembered being excited to be important again. To see Anakin again…

Ahsoka turned away in pain. That was the past. This was a new situation. A new era in her life.

She hooked her lightsabers on her belt and pulled her robe out of the closet. She pulled it on and put the hood up. Best to remain incognito, she decided.

When she was done preparing Ahsoka made her way to their assigned shuttle. She wasn’t the first to arrive. Cornan was already inside.

“Ah, Ahsoka. You’re quick. I didn’t expect anyone for at least-” Cornan checked his… time thingy. Ahsoka didn’t even know what he used to check the time. She wasn’t a tech person okay. They had special trained clones to do that back in the war- “15 minutes,” Cornan finished his sentence.

“Yeah well, back in the war we always had to be ready to go every second. I learned to be quick.” Ahsoka shrugged.

“I see. Well, it’s nice to have you here. I was formulating a route to the planet and could use some input,” Cornan said, turning to the small HoloProjector on the shuttle. He turned it on, and it displayed a map of the planet.

“Have you ever been to Kashyyyk?” Cornan asked.

“No, but I have a friend who lives there. Or, friend, more like someone I met on a mission of some sorts back in the war. I hope he’s okay.”

“Well, Kashyyyk is a jungle planet, so we have lots of cover to make our landing. But that leaves the question about where to go. And how to get onto the planet in the first place. Our intelligence says the planet is victim of an Imperial blockade.”

“I know a way we can pass by their blockade. I have done it several times with my master back when the Separatists had blockades around a planet. Tell me, where does this shuttle originate from?”

Cornan looked at Ahsoka skeptically. Ahsoka smiled at him, reassuring him that she truly had an idea. “I believe used to be Coruscanti shuttle. I don’t know who it belonged to though. Some higher-up. I only know it came to be in our hands due to an… unfortunate incident with him.”

The implication of what had happened to the previous owner was quite clear. Ahsoka didn’t dwell on it.

“If this ship is of Coruscanti nature, that means that access codes will be in the system. If we can get those codes, we can pass through the blockade as officials checking up on the progress. If they handle their blockades the same as the Republic would’ve done, the news will never reach the Commander of the fleet.”

Cornan again looked skeptically at Ahsoka. She understood why, but it irritated her. Anakin would’ve taken her up on her plan immediately and if it failed would’ve bugged her about it endlessly. Thinking back about it now, Ahsoka actually didn’t know which way she preferred. Anakin’s or Cornan’s reaction.

“Just try and see if you can find the codes in the system. With any luck the ships memory systems weren’t wiped before you got your hands on it.”

Cornan got to work. Meanwhile, Ahsoka overlooked the map of the planet. She studied it thoroughly. It was important to know the terrain you would be infiltrating. She wasn’t against just going in, lightsaber blazing – thanks again for your excellent example, master – but it was always good to know where you would end up.

* * *

Cornan was still working on the codes when the rest of the team slowly assembled on the ship. Lorey was the last one to arrive.

“Alright, everyone’s here. I see you have been studying the map Ahsoka, good. Cornan what are you doing?”

Lorey was all business. It was something Ahsoka would have to get used to. Playful banter was usually her way of going into battle situations, but okay.

“I’m trying to find transmitting codes of the Empire in the ship’s database. Ahsoka told me a plan to get past the blockade using those codes,” Cornan said, not looking up from his console, scanning every single thing that flashed by on the small screen.

Lorey turned to Ahsoka. “You have a plan? Care to fill us in?”

Lorey sounded just as skeptical as Cornan. Great, and Ahsoka hadn’t even started to explain it yet. She’d been made co-leader for her strategizing capabilities, right? Why this reaction?

“Well, Cornan told me this ship was of Coruscanti nature. That means it probably has codes on board that could get us in Empire controlled space. If he can find the codes in the system, we can use it to pass the blockade by saying we’re a special team here to inspect the ‘transfer’.”

Ahsoka used air quotes to implicate what she meant by transfer.

“And you think that will work?”

Ahsoka turned to the voice who questioned her. It was Dara.

“Yes, I do. Back in the war we used this tactic to get past Separatist blockades several times. It hasn’t failed me yet.”

“She’s right. It has been used before and has proven effective for sneaking in. If you don’t have access to a stealth ship of course. That would make all this unnecessary.” It was Deo who had spoken up. Ahsoka should have expected him to understand her. He’d been in the army. Of course he would know of the tactics they’d used back then.

“Alright, so we have a plan to get on the planet, next part is where to get on and how to get the Wookiees to safety.”

Lorey’s voice was stern and all businesslike. At least they’d accepted the plan. Ahsoka was happy with that. Now it was time to move on to the next phase.

“I’ve studied the map and the biggest settlement on the planet is Kachirho. It’s their capital according to the data. My guess is that’s where they are keeping them. It would be easily accessible by ship so easy to transport the Wookiees off planet.”

Again, Ahsoka was the first one to come up with a solution. She would prove her worth in being a strategist.

“Okay, we’ll be moving towards Kachirho. Deo, I want you to plot us a course of where we can land. This is a rescue mission, yes, but we want it to go over as quietly as possible. If the Empire gets word of this operation too early, we might all end up in slavery,” Lorey stated.

Deo nodded and started inspecting the map in more detail. It was then that Cornan spoke up again.

“I think I’ve found the codes!”

Lorey and Ahsoka moved towards the console. Ahsoka was the first one to recognize he was right. She nodded to Lorey.

“Well done Cornan. Clear us with traffic control and we’ll prepare for take-off.”

This made Ahsoka wonder. Who was the pilot of this ship anyway? She turned to ask Lorey, but she was already walking to the back of the shuttle. Ahsoka quickly followed.

“Not to be intruding on your team dynamics, but who’s your pilot?” she asked once Lorey had stopped before a compartment.

“Cornan, Thea and I have experience in flying. But I assume you’re asking this question because you do too.”

Lorey’s voice had changed back to her casual way.

“Uh, yeah. Not to try and take someone else’s post here, but I was just curious.”

Lorey laughed. “Don’t worry Ahsoka. We always switch who flies. Cornan is very skilled in the general sense of flying, but evasive actions aren’t in his skillset. Thea and I are more skilled in the acrobatic aspects of flying. It’s always one of us three as pilot and co-pilot. What about you?”

“My master was one of the self-proclaimed best pilots in the Order and the army. He taught me a lot. I believe I’m quite skilled in both aspects, if I do say so myself.”

Ahsoka wasn’t one to brag, but she felt like she spoke the truth. She’d had to save Anakin and herself from crashing more times than she’d like to admit, that she’d become quite skilled in that too. It was mandatory for a Jedi to be able to fly, if she thought about it.

Lorey laughed again, pulling Ahsoka out of her train of thought.

“Well then, we’ll switch. How does that sound?”

Ahsoka smiled at that, showing she agreed.

The doors slit open and Dara walked in. “We’ve just gotten permission to take off from command. We’re leaving immediately,” she said. Lorey nodded.

“Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?”

All three of them made their way back to the cockpit. Cornan started the shuttle and took off.

“Coordinates are set. The navi computer is starting up and the hyperdrive is charging. Estimated time of our journey, 5 hours. Strap in everyone.”

Everyone took a seat and strapped themselves in. Once the shuttle left orbit, Cornan activated the hyperdrive, and they were on their way.

Ahsoka’s first mission within the rebellion. She was ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Ahsoka gets to test her military skills again after 5 years. I believe she did quite well. Let's just see how that goes next time, shall we?


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to start the first mission. In which Ahsoka encounters two familiar people from her past.

The flight was rather uneventful. They went over strategies of how to engage the rescue operation and what to do and what definitely not to do. They agreed over a plan rather quickly and that made the rest of the time quite boring.

Ahsoka was deep in thought, staring at the hyperspace lane, when suddenly everyone got called to the cockpit.

“We’re arriving at Kashyyyk. Everybody, get ready to engage. Here it goes.”

It was Lorey who said that. She was sitting in the copilot seat, ready to take over Cornan’s position if they had to use evasive action. Ahsoka hoped it wouldn’t come to that. This plan would work.

The shuttle dropped out of hyperspace and the first sight that greeted them was an enormous blockade of Imperial Star Destroyers. This was the first time that Ahsoka encountered this new class of destroyer. They were larger than the Venator-class Destroyers they had used back in the war and a lot less refined. It was an imposing sight.

“Keep going Cornan. Keep her on a normal course. We don’t want to seem out of place,” Lorey said. The shuttle kept its course forwards towards the blockade.

That’s when there came static over the radio. “Shuttle T-146, state your business in this system. We don’t have you on our list of arrival,” a voice over the radio said. It must be an Imperial officer.

“This is shuttle T-146, here to inspect the current transfer on Kashyyyk. We were called upon this morning, Sir. Sending our codes now,” Deo responded. Ahsoka had to give him credits. He sounded a lot like some high ranking official just now. Cornan sent the codes over to the closest Star Destroyer.

“We were not informed of your arrival. Shut off your engines while we check,” the voice came over the radio, again, after a few minutes of silence. They most likely checked the codes.

Everyone on the shuttle exchanged glances. If the Empire checked and their codes or arrival didn’t check out, they would be caught. Cornan shut off the engines as told and they waited nervously, letting the shuttle drift in space. Ahsoka decided to improvise. She had a vast knowledge of technology and how to connect that to the Force. It was one of the things she had in common with Anakin. They used to work together on shuttles and speeders using the Force. It was a nice way to spend their downtime and bond together.

Ahsoka reached out with the Force to nearest Star Destroying, which they drifted closer and closer to. She felt herself connect to the systems and tried to become familiar with them. It hadn’t changed all that much from the Venator-Class ones. It took a little while, but she found the log of all the arriving shuttles. She manipulated the system to add them to the list, although hidden. If it looked too easy, they would know it had been tampered with.

Ahsoka released her grip when she was sure it was done and collapsed down onto a seat. It was a handy trick but very, very tiring. That’s why they almost never used it.

Everybody turned to stare at her. “Are you okay Ahsoka? Something wrong?” Dara asked.

“No, I’m fine. Just tired. I used the Force to get us into the system. They should let us pass right about… now.”

And just as she finished talking the radio came back on and the officer started talking again.

“We have confirmed your arrival. Proceed towards planet surface.”

Everyone let out a sigh of relief and again turned to Ahsoka.

“How did you do that? I didn’t know that was possible,” Deo asked.

“It’s a trick I developed with my master. It was meant for small ships to mess with their systems. For fun. I figured it could be used on this one as well. It’s very hard, though, so I need a little time to recover.”

Everybody nodded in understanding. They were obviously impressed. Ahsoka would never admit it, but these reactions sure did her self-confidence some good. She’d never been the most powerful in the room. Now she clearly was. Not to brag of course.

* * *

They approached the surface and set down on the ground not far outside the capital. Even from the air it was obvious they had picked the right place. Whole groups of captured Wookiees were paraded around and prepared for transport.

Now it was time for the next part of the plan. Getting the Wookiees out of here. Everybody got out of the ship and made for the city, while Cornan stayed behind with the ship. It was never certain how they would get off planet and they couldn’t leave their own shuttle with all their intel behind.

The others all made their way up the trees towards the city. Reaching the border, they split up. Two teams. One would be the distraction while the other would free the Wookiees. Thea and Deo would be the distraction while Lorey, Dara, Jax and Ahsoka would free the Wookiees.

They circled the perimeter to get behind the party gathered in what was obviously a temporary slavery camp, while Thea and Deo made their way up front.

“We’re in position,” Lorey told the others in her commlink.

“Affirmative. We’re going in now,” Deo answered. And there they were. They just walked into the camp.

“Who’s in charge here?” Deo boomed. All the workers present looked up startled.

“Who are you?” one of them dared to ask. “This is an important Imperial senator, here to oversee how the transfer is going. Now, take us to the one in charge. We have business to attend to. She is a busy woman. We would like to make this quick,” Deo answered.

While Deo stated his whole story to those poor workers, the other four snuck into the camp from the back, swiftly taking out the stormtroopers guarding the perimeter. They never even stood a chance. Ahsoka could only think how incompetent they were compared to the clones. She sighed softly.

Ahsoka had to keep herself from laughing at the ridiculous antics Thea and Deo were pulling here. She could hear them more clearly as they got closer. She checked if they were still okay, and saw they had the complete attention of all the workers in sight. The group moved further in towards the prison block where most of the Wookiees in this camp were kept.

They entered without anyone having seen them, but the Wookiees saw. They were on alert in an instant and started making a lot of noise.

“Shh calm down. It’s okay. We’re here to rescue you,” Ahsoka said, as she radiated a calming wave through the Force. It seemed to work, because the Wookiees quieted down rather quickly.

Someone still came to check on them, sadly enough, and the four rebels quickly hid between the mass of Wookiees. Again, this proved to Ahsoka how incompetent these new troopers were. They hadn’t spotted them at all and left after looking over the group a total of two times.

All four of them made their way through the massive room and cut free the Wookiees. Ahsoka used her lightsabers, for it was ten times faster than any normal equipment. Apparently, it sparked something familiar in one of the Wookiees because she was suddenly pulled up from behind.

“What the-“ she began, but then she felt something. His presence was familiar. “Chewbacca!” she said happily. “It’s so good to see you! I’m so glad they haven’t taken you yet,” she exclaimed.

Chewbacca said something back towards her in Shyriiwook. Due to the fact that Ahsoka had to instruct a Wookiee youngling back at the Temple she was able to understand him quite alright. “Yes, I know you got captured but we’re here to rescue you. You’re gonna be fine.”

Again Chewbacca said something but before she could respond she was interrupted by Lorey. “Not to ruin what is obviously a reunion, but who is this?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ahsoka had forgotten he still held her in her arms and motioned for him to put her down. “This is Chewbacca. I met him some years ago. We’d both been taken by Trandoshans. We were dumped on a planet and hunted. We worked together to get out. He’s very skilled. I believe his help is very welcome,” she said with a smile.

“Well, alright then. Good to meet you Chewbacca,” Lorey said, nodding her head to him.

Ahsoka had Chewbacca rounded up all the Wookiees. It was easier to have one of their own who was also on their side. They worked quickly. Had everyone divided in groups in a matter of minutes. It was easier to get them out in small groups.

Ahsoka checked around the corner of the prison block for a second to see how Thea and Deo were holding up and had to keep herself from gasping when she saw who they were talking to. Two men stood in front of her team members. One she did not know, the other on the other hand she knew all too well. Tarkin. Of course he was with the Empire. That was not good. She quickly hid back inside.

“We need to leave, and fast. I know the man who’s in charge of this operation. If we don’t get out soon, we’ll be mercilessly captured and never see the light of day again,” Ahsoka said hurriedly. She kept her voice down, suddenly very much on guard. The Wookiees picked up on the change in her mood and started to shift as well.

“What are you talking about Ahsoka?” Lorey asked skeptically. Ahsoka couldn’t blame her. She had probably never met Tarkin. The man who tried to have her executed in her trial way back from before she left the order.

“The man outside is ruthless. He tried to have me executed back when I was in the Order. He’s very much buddies with the Emperor. We can’t have him spot us,” Ahsoka said hurriedly.

“So, let’s go. Group one, move out!” Lorey said and motioned for Jax to take his group to a shuttle to transport them.

“No! We don’t have enough time. We need to get them out, now!” Ahsoka said, now desperate. Was she biased in this situation because she feared Tarkin? No. Not at all. How dare you even think that.

“Ahsoka, I understand you have a history with this guy, but we can’t endanger the mission because of that. I know you’re new to this kind of-“ Lorey tried to talk to Ahsoka but was cut off by voices from outside.

“You’ll get to see the Wookiees and then you’ll leave, _senator_ ,” a man said, emphasizing the word ‘senator’ in a disgusting manner. Ahsoka assumed it was the other man she saw. She and Lorey looked at each other.

“Okay, change of plan. Everybody out now. We’ll make for the tree line. Move!” Lorey said, and everyone tried to make their way out. It was chaotic, and they were immediately noticed. Stormtroopers began shooting and Ahsoka mourned the fact that she could not use her lightsabers to deflect. She could not give herself away.

Several Wookiees were hit, but at least 90% made it into the trees. And down towards the ground. Ahsoka, Jax, Dara and Lorey stayed in the back to check if everybody was with them. Then they heard a voice.

“You would be wise to hand yourself over now, or your friends will not see the end of the day,” Tarkin’s voice boomed. Ahsoka’s blood ran cold. “You picked the wrong day for a rescue. Now that I’m here we’re not going to let you go so easily.”

Ahsoka looked at her captured teammates. They were held within a tight circle. Many troopers stood guard around them. Next to them was Tarkin and the other official who remained unknown.

The four team members looked at each other. They made a silent plan to split up again. They would have to fight.

“I can’t use the Force. I can’t reveal myself. Tarkin will know who I am and will tell the Emperor. He’ll have me killed within days,” Ahsoka said. The others nodded in understanding. Jax handed her one of his swords. Ahsoka thanked him for it. At least now she wasn’t unarmed.

They split up in teams. Dara and Jax went left while Lorey and Ahsoka went right. They pinged each other’s comms when they were in position. They waited a few more seconds before they charged.

To Ahsoka’s surprise they weren’t the only ones that charged. Wookiees came from everywhere. She heard a call beside her and saw Chewbacca. Should’ve seen that one coming.

Stormtroopers met their assault, but it became quite obvious they were outmatched, real fast. The team broke off from the Wookiees and made for the two high ranking Imperial officers.

Ahsoka arrived first and tried to engage the other officer only to be stopped by a stormtrooper who was much better trained than the others. He wore different armor as well. In fact, all the troopers around the officers wore different armor. Must be a different squad then.

Ahsoka engaged in battle and saw that her teammates had as well. At one point her opponent turned away from her. Ahsoka tried not to be offended that she was apparently so boring he could just leave her but was quickly being engaged by another ‘special’ stormtrooper. She somehow still managed to notice the fact that the other started to say something. “Director Krennic. You need to leave. This facility is overrun.”

The man, director Krennic apparently, nodded to the trooper but Ahsoka didn’t see more because the stormtrooper she was fighting was making good use of her distraction. She cursed herself. The director turned to Tarkin. “The trooper is right. We can’t risk the project.”

That’s all Ahsoka heard before she was suddenly kicked back. She landed several meters away from the center fight. She tried to make her way back to the officers, but her way was blocked by other fights going on around her. It felt like forever before she reached the core fight again but was too late. The officers had left. But their friends were left behind. Ahsoka scoffed. They apparently weren’t worth it. Leave it to Tarkin to decide his mission was more important than people.

It was good news for her team, though. Now it would be less hard to get them back.

But with Tarkin gone, Ahsoka had no reason to keep herself back. She reached out with the Force and suddenly all the troopers collapsed, unconscious. She walked to Thea and Deo and cut them lose with the sword she’d borrowed from Jax.

“Let’s go before they wake up again,” Lorey said.

Everybody made their way over to shuttles. The occasional stormtrooper came their way, but her teammates or the Wookiees took quick care of them. Eventually they had 3 ships full of Wookiees and their own shuttle. Now it was a matter of how to get past the blockade, again.

“I have an idea,” Jax said. “It might sound stupid, but if we’re quick it might work.” Everyone looked at him expectantly. Jax pulled up the map of the planet. “They’re only orbiting this ring of the planet. If we fly straight down and jump to hyperspace immediately, we might evade them.”

Again, everyone stared at him. It couldn’t be that simple, right? But it was their only option right now. It was no question that reinforcements were being called in. They had to get off the planet.

They split up the four pilots in the team. Each took a shuttle. Set the coordinates for hyperspace and flew to the underside of the planet. They hovered there. Ahsoka’s comm beeped. “Let’s go,” she heard Lorey’s voice.

Ahsoka powered up the engines together with the other ships and made for orbit. As soon as the shot out of the atmosphere she punched the hyperdrive. And it was a wonder, but it actually worked. They got off the planet. First successful mission was completed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a hard chapter to write, because I didn't really know how I wanted this to go in detail. I hope I made something presentable out of it, at least. 
> 
> Oh, and did I just make up a whole new Force ability becauce I felt like it fit? Yes, yes I did. 
> 
> About Jax's last plan. I always found it stupid that 'blockades' were only in one ring in orbit. So I used that in this plan.


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the mission.

They flew to a deserted moon not far from Kashyyyk. They put the ships on the ground. Every one of the team filed out of their designated ship to rendezvous at their own shuttle. It was a successful mission. A few hiccups, but in the end they were successful.

Ahsoka was very happy about that. This was the first time she did a mission like this without the backing of the GAR. It felt weird. But it did show her how much a small team could truly do.

A few of the Wookiees went with them to the rendezvous. Ahsoka recognized a some of them, like Chewbacca and the general that helped save them way back when.

“You’re free to go your own way now. We’re sorry for what happened to you. We wish we could stay longer, but we must get back to base. We do hand you this jammer as a parting gift. It’ll make sure you’ll continue to your preferred destination without imperials getting in your way,” Lorey said to the Wookiees. They said some things back to her in Shyriiwook and Lorey looked at Ahsoka helplessly.

“They thank us for our help and hope we have a safe journey back. They’ll make it on their own from here on out,” Ahsoka translated. Lorey smiled.

“We thank you for your help. It was greatly appreciated. We’ll be departing now. A big group on a deserted moon can be spotted easily. Safe journeys,” Lorey said.

Ahsoka said her goodbye to Chewbacca and the team departed in the shuttle. “That was quite the hectic mission,” Thea said. “And I have another person to add to my ‘hate their guts’ list.”

“Who?” Jax asked. “That monstrosity that was ‘Moff Tarkin’,” Thea replied. Ahsoka grimaced. That didn’t go unnoticed by Thea. “I see I have someone who agrees with me,” she said with a smirk.

Ahsoka looked at her. “To say I hate him would be an understatement.”

“Spill it girl. That’s why we’re a team. We share things,” Thea said, still with the smirk. Ahsoka wanted to wipe it off her face. This wasn’t a funny story.

“He tried to have me executed,” Ahsoka simply said. That got the smirk off Thea’s face real fast. All the others stared at her. “What do you mean?” Dara was the first to ask.

“6 years ago, I was accused of bombing the Jedi Temple,” Ahsoka said. She could see realization in all their eyes. She shouldn’t be surprised. There weren’t many people who had missed that news.

“You were accused of that?” Lorey asked skeptically. Ahsoka nodded. “I was only investigating with my master. We captured someone who had something to do with it. When she requested to talk to me in her cell, she got choked to death with the Force. Right in front of me. To this day I still don’t know how, but I was accused of it. One conspiracy let to the other and suddenly I was in a cell awaiting trial for murder and terrorism. I escaped but was eventually captured again. I stood trial in front of the Chancellor. Tarkin was the one who led the offence. Senator Amidala of Naboo was on my defense. If Tarkin had gotten it his way and I was ruled guilty I would’ve gotten the death penalty. Luckily my master found the real culprit just in time and I was released. But I will never forget the face or Tarkin. The predatory way he was trying to get me to be incriminated for something I didn’t do.” Ahsoka looked down. It stayed silent for several minutes.

When Ahsoka looked back up she noticed everybody staring at her. “What?” she asked. They all shared glances with one another.

“That’s some heavy shit right there. Geez Ahsoka,” Cornan said. They all made noises of agreement.

“I’m sure I haven’t had the worst life here. I was a Jedi. I probably had it the best. I was raised in the Temple. I had great teachings and everything I could ask for. My year in the lower levels of Coruscant taught me how good I had it there. I don’t deserve your pity treatment,” Ahsoka said matter-of-factly.

“That’s not what we’re doing Ahsoka. I know fully well the Jedi were living like that. but that doesn’t make the things that happened to you any less terrible. We’ve all had bad shit in our lives. We all care about it and talk about it and we all help each other through it. That’s what we do as a team. You’re one of us now so we react that way to the shit in your life. That comes with the invite to this team,” Lorey said. She’d started serious but at the end of her speech she was smiling. Ahsoka smiled back. She felt like Lorey and her were a lot alike in character.

* * *

The rest of the journey back to Alderaan was spent in relaxed chatter. They talked about a lot of things. Important and gossip alike. It was a nice thing for Ahsoka. Something she hadn’t done in so long. This was what building friendships was like.

Ahsoka couldn’t help but think that she was really in the right place, doing rescue missions with this team.

The first mission had been hectic, but now that it had all calmed down again Ahsoka could say she’d felt in her element. This was what she liked to do. The entire team was so welcoming. She’d never been more grateful.

Arriving back on Alderaan meant getting their gamefaces back on. They had to report to the higher-ups.

Ahsoka and Lorey, being team leaders, were led to a meeting room where everyone of importance had been gathered. Lorey had called upon them in the shuttle, telling them they had important things to share about this mission that everyone should hear.

When everyone was settled Bail spoke up. “Tell me, what was so important about your mission Captain?”

Lorey and Ahsoka exchanged glances, silently debating who would speak up. Lorey went first, given the fact that she’d been the one directly spoken to.

“For everyone’s information, my team was sent to rescue captured Wookiees on Kashyyyk. Sounds pretty normal, I know, but we have reason to believe there is more going on here.”

Everyone in the room looked around now, exchanging glances and obviously wanting clarity. Ahsoka continued what Lorey had started.

“We have reason to believe that this is a very special, high ranking operation. Why do we think this? Someone was overseeing this operation, who I believe to be a high ranking official within the Empire. Can anyone confirm for me if Tarkin has become a Moff?”

Bail was she first one to show recognition, being a senator in the Imperial Senate and all. He confirmed Ahsoka’s suspicions. “Yes, Tarkin is a Grand Moff in the Emperors court. He has been appointed governor of certain reaches in the Outer Rim as well.”

Ahsoka nodded. “He was there, together with some ‘Director Krennic’. They were talking about a special project. We know the Wookiees were being used for something special but given the involvement of Tarkin and this Director. I feel that it is a lot more serious than we originally thought.”

Bail nodded at that. “For someone to get the title of Director would mean there is a bit project going on. We need to put someone on that right away. If this turns out to be dangerous, we better figure out what it is they’re doing. And fast.”

The meeting went on for an hour after that. Strategies were planned, an intelligence team was formed to gather intelligence on this new project.

In short, Ahsoka came out of the meeting tired. Meetings were never her strong suit, but at least back with the Council they were always dismissed after the important part. Here she had to sit everything out.

After leaving the meeting room Ahsoka immediately went to the training rooms. She needed to let off some steam. She hadn’t noticed before but seeing Tarkin and fighting like that again had taken a lot out of her and put her under stress. She needed to let it out.

It was in these moments Ahsoka missed Anakin most. He was the perfect sparring partner when you needed to let off steam. He was also the only one who could ever truly understand her. If only he hadn’t just taken the cowards way out and fallen to the Dark Side. She wanted to hate him for it, she really tried to. Yet she couldn’t. she hated what he’d become, sure. But not him, never truly him. He was her truest friend.

There she stood in the training room, alone. She activated an old practice droid and went to work. She tried to repeat a mantra in her head. It would be okay. It would be okay. Everything would work out.

It would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a waaay shorter chapter but this is the end of part one of this story. I had no better way to end this, since this was part of the arc I couldn’t figure out in my head so decided to just cut if off. Next chapter will start with the next arc.


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 6 months later, and Ahsoka interacts with her new friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this needs to be said. The Coronavirus is in my country and has caused a lot of chaos here. Last Sunday I got the news that the schools would be close effective immediately. I'm a teacher, so that meant a lot of work for me. I had to prepare so many packets of work for the kids to take home with them. It's been a hectic week. 
> 
> On top of that, I have been sick this week as well. I don’t think it is COVID-19, but who knows. 
> 
> In short, there was so much chaos. But now the good news. Schools are closed until April 6th, so that means I suddenly have 3 weeks of free time. I’m trying to write as much as I can in that time.
> 
> Until then, please everyone watch out for each other. Stay home as much as you can. Watch your hygiene. Stay safe.

6 months have passed since Ahsoka found Obi-Wan, since she joined Bail Organa’s rebellion and since she met her new team.

6 months since Ahsoka felt alive and happy again. She didn’t think it would happen so quickly, but she felt like she was in the right place. She didn’t have to be on the run anymore. Or, well, not like before at least. She was accepted now, which felt great again after 6 years of not having a normal home.

Ahsoka also felt that she and the team had become great friends. She got along with every single one of them. Especially Lorey. They had shared almost everything with each other in these 6 months and Ahsoka thought it nice to have someone like that in her life again. Someone she could just be herself with.

That’s how they were now. Lorey and Ahsoka were in Aldera, walking around a market. They were currently on a week break from almost constant missions, and it was relaxing.

They were talking about everything and nothing at all, now that they didn’t have battle strategies and escape plans to go over.

Ahsoka was currently teasing Lorey on the crush she denies she has.

“So, you’re telling me you don’t like him, yet you were practically drooling when he walked by you at the base,” Ahsoka said with a smile.

Lorey looked at her. “Was not! Don’t make up stories Ahsoka. You’re bad at it.”

“You can’t be bad at the truth Lorey. Just ask him out, please. I’m sure he’ll say yes. He has been looking at you as well.”

“I will end you Ahsoka,” Lorey said, as she walked away further. Ahsoka hurried to catch back up, laughing.

“If you won’t do it, I will,” she said with a smile. “I’m sure he’ll listen to me and I can set you up on a nice date this week.”

“Don’t you dare,” Lorey said darkly. Ahsoka only laughed.

“You’re teasing the life out of me, but I’m sure you have had crushes too. So, tell me about your love life Ahsoka,” Lorey said.

Ahsoka fell quiet. “There’s nothing to tell really. Sorry to disappoint.”

“I don’t believe that for a second.”

“Well, it’s the truth. Jedi aren’t allowed to have attachments. I wasn’t allowed to act on love.”

Lorey looked at her. “Don’t banthashit me with your Jedi ways now, ‘Soka. You keep being the one to remind us you haven’t been a Jedi for 6 years. If you tell me, I’ll try to ask Jordan out.”

That made Ahsoka look up. It was a fair deal. Anything to make Lorey happy like that. she deserved love. Besides, Ahsoka really didn’t have much to tell, so why not share it?

“Okay, so, I really don’t have much to share. I only ever had a crush once, and this was back in the Order, so I never acted on it. It was a strange feeling, but my master helped me understand and navigate it. But that’s it. Never more than just a simple crush as a 16-year-old.”

“Why didn’t you go after him when you left the Order?” Lorey asked.

“I don’t know. I didn’t feel like it. Love isn’t that important to me. I’ve seen what it can do to a person when it goes wrong, I don’t want that for myself. I like to keep a clear head. Doesn’t mean I don’t wish love on others, of course. Which is why I’m going to root for you when you ask Jordan out. Because now you have to,” Ahsoka finished with a smirk.

Lorey rolled her eyes. “This is so unfair. But fine. I’ll do it when we get back, if I can find him.”

“Works for me,” Ahsoka said. “Though I can’t be there. I have to meet Bail and little Leia.”

“Oh, right. Your special Jedi babysitting duties,” Lorey said.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. That’s what she’d told the team. But that wasn’t what was happening.

In the first 2 months that Ahsoka was with the rebellion she’d noticed something about Leia. She was incredibly strong with the Force. But of course no one had noticed that, because no one in the palace was Force sensitive. Ahsoka had told Bail, and to say he was shocked was an understatement. He’d asked for her help in training Leia to hide it. Ahsoka had agreed, of course. It was part of her job to make sure Leia was kept a secret from Vader and the Emperor. That was impossible if she was projecting her Force signature everywhere.

Today she had another session with Leia, and that’s where she would be heading now. She turned back to Lorey after getting a few more supplies. “I have to get to the princess or I’ll be late. You’ll make it on your own?” Ahsoka asked.

“I’m not helpless Ahsoka,” Lorey said, offended.

“I was talking about you asking Jordan out. I wasn’t implying anything at all. Goodluck,” Ahsoka said as she turned away and made her way back to the palace. Leaving a dumbfounded Lorey in the marketplace.

* * *

Ahsoka made her way to the private quarters of the royal family. She knocked on the door and it opened instantly. A little girl was behind it.

“Ahsoka!” Leia exclaimed excitedly. She jumped up and down then turned away to get Bail. “Daddy! Ahsoka’s here!”

Bail came to greet her at the door. “Good afternoon Ahsoka. Thank you for coming. I’m afraid today will kind of be a real babysitting session. I have to leave. Breha is currently in a conference and will be back in an hour. I trust you’ll be okay training her without one of us?”

Ahsoka nodded. “Of course. I’m sure we’ll be fine. Right, little Princess?” she asked, turning to Leia. The little girl nodded excitedly.

“I’ll be leaving you to it then. Be good Leia,” Bail said. Leia again nodded. “Yes daddy,” she said with a big smile.

Bail then walked out the door, leaving Ahsoka and Leia alone.

Leia stood there, staring expectantly at Ahsoka, waiting for her to tell her what they would do today.

Ahsoka bent down and picked her up.

“Alright little Princess. We have mind games again today. You think you’re up for it?” Ahsoka asked. Leia nodded excitedly. It was always fun to do these mind games with Ahsoka. They were challenging, but mommy and daddy always told Leia it was good to do thing that were hard. She would become smart that way.

Ahsoka took Leia to the middle of the room and sat her down on the carpet. She went to sit across from her. She used her training as a youngling to train Leia in the Force. It was playful, but effective. Especially because Leia couldn’t know what they were really doing.

“Alright Leia. Today we will be thinking again. You think of something, and you have to make sure I can’t guess it okay? You know how I do that, right?” Ahsoka asked.

“With your powers,” Leia said seriously. She knew Ahsoka had ‘powers’ as she called them. Ahsoka found it funny, the way she saw them.

“Yes, with my powers. I will try to guess in your head, you have to keep me out. Can we do that?” Ahsoka checked again.

Leia nodded. “Okay Leia, think of… an animal.”

And Leia’s face turned into a big thinking face. It was obvious to Ahsoka she was thinking very hard on what animal to pick. Ahsoka smiled at that. You could say a lot about Leia, but when she started something, she would see it through. She was headstrong and committed.

Then Leia opened her eyes again. “Got one!” she said.

“Alright Leia. Now I’ll try to see what it is. Are you ready?”

Leia nodded and Ahsoka reached out with the Force. She poked Leia’s mind, but met a lot of resistance and shielding. Ahsoka couldn’t be prouder. She’d only been training for a total of 3 months now and her shielding was already very good. Especially for a six-year-old. It could still use more practice, of course. Improvement was always possible, but she was making good progress regardless.

Ahsoka and Leia continued their game until Ahsoka couldn’t guess what Leia was thinking about. That was the whole point. Ahsoka smiled at the little girl.

“Well done Leia. I have no idea what you were thinking about. I’m very proud.”

Leia smiled at this. “Thank you,” she said with a bit smile.

“Now Leia, would you mind if you go play now? I have to make a HoloCall.”

Leia got up. “Okay,” she said and moved to her toys.

Ahsoka moved to the couch and sat down. She put her comm on the table and put in the number she needed to call right now. She waited for an answer on the other side.

The Holo flickered on and a familiar face appeared. _“Hello Ashla. It’s good to see you. How have you been?_ ” asked the familiar form of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was wearing a hood, to conceal his identity. You never know if someone was listening or watching this call. That’s also part of the reason they used fake names.

“Hello Ben. It’s good to see you too. I’ve been doing great. How about you?”

“ _I've been doing just fine. There’s not much to do here._ ”

Ahsoka nodded. It didn’t look like much indeed when she’d been there 6 months ago. she still wondered how he couldn’t get bored. But he didn’t seem bored.

“ _How have things been with your new associates?_ ” Obi-Wan then asked.

“Yeah, it’s great. I have an amazing team. I think I’ve found my place here. I believe this is what I was meant to do,” Ahsoka said with a smile. Obi-Wan smiled back at her.

“ _That’s good to hear Ashla. I’m glad you’ve found your place in the Galaxy._ ”

To hear that felt great to Ahsoka. She still saw Obi-Wan as sort of family. To hear him say he was happy for her was a great feeling.

“How’s the boy?” Ahsoka then asked. Having spent time with Leia, she’d become very curious as to how her sibling has been doing.

 _“He’s doing fine. Living his life with his aunt and uncle. I believe he’s happy. How’s the girl?_ ” Obi-Wan asked.

Ahsoka smiled again at that. “Leia? Can you come here for a second?” she asked. Obi-Wan’s eyes widened. Leia made her way over to Ahsoka. As she pointed at the Holo.

“Leia, I want you to meet Ben. He’s a friend of mine and of your fathers.”

“Hello mister Ben,” Leia said in her best diplomatic voice, obviously learned from her parents. ben smiled at her. “ _Hello Leia. How nice to meet you._ ”

“You too mister,” The six-year-old said. Ahsoka smiled. “You don’t have to stand here Leia. If you wanna play, you can go back and play. I just wanted to introduce you.”

Leia nodded. “Bye mister Ben. Nice meeting you,” the little girl said again before walking off and back to her toys.

Obi-Wan stayed silent. He was obviously in shock. “ _The last time I saw her she was only an infant…_ ” he said, trailing off.

“She looks like her mother, don’t you think,” Ahsoka said.

Obi-Wan nodded. They stayed silent of a few seconds. She saw that Obi-Wan needed a minute to let this sink in. That was fine.

“I’ve been training her. She needed some guidance. She’s a natural Ben. In 6 months, she learned more than I had back at her age,” Ahsoka said.

Ben smiled at that. “ _It’s good to know you took the job I gave you seriously. Thank you Ashla._ ” Ahsoka again smiled. “Anytime Ben.”

They talked for several minutes more about everything they could, which was not confidential. Ahsoka was again very happy. This was the first chance she’d gotten to talk to Obi-Wan since she left him alone on Tatooine. She was glad to still have this connection to her old life, even though she was happy with her new life.

After ending the call, she fell into silence. Thinking. She watched Leia play. She was debating whether she would join her or just watch. She was supposed to babysit. After thinking a little more, she moved towards Leia.

“Hey little Princess. What are you playing?”

She held up a little figure. It resembled a human of some sorts. “This is my Jedi. He’s a hero. Wanna play with me?” Leia asked, holding another figure out to her.

Ahsoka took it and sat next to her. “Who is this?” she asked. Leia didn’t even look up when she answered. “That’s his best friend. she always helps him with hero stuff,” the little girl said. Ahsoka nodded.

Together they played. Ahsoka had no idea how much time had passed, but before she knew it, Bail entered the private parts again. Leia didn’t even seem to notice. She was so wrapped up in her game with Ahsoka, who did notice her ‘boss’ had come back home.

“Isn’t Breha back yet?” he asked Ahsoka when she looked up at him. “Haven’t seen her, no,” Ahsoka said. She turned to Leia. “I have to talk to your daddy now, okay?” Leia only nodded.

Ahsoka got up and walked closer to Bail. “How’d her training go?” Bail asked. “Good. It only took her 5 tries today to shut me out. she’s certainly improving. And at a very fast rate. I don’t even think Anakin was this fast in learning this. You should be proud.”

Bail smiled. “I certainly am.” They looked at Leia. “I introduced her to Obi-Wan. I talked to him on comms,” Ahsoka said. Bail turned back to her. “How is he? How is Luke?” he asked. “He told me they were okay. That’s all I know. He seems fine and happy. I guess that’s all we can hope for.” Bail nodded.

“I have some news Ahsoka. There is a new mission for you team.”

Ahsoka was surprised at that statement. They had a week off. But she should’ve known. There was no free time in a war.

“What’s it about?” Ahsoka asked, already invested.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a little bit of a filler chapter. I promise it'll pick up speed soon.  
> At least baby Leia is back, I hope that makes it all worth it.


	10. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team is assigned a new mission.

Bail did not immediately say where Ahsoka would be going. Instead, he called a meeting with her team. The anticipation didn’t do Ahsoka any good. She wasn’t one to sit tight and wait, so for her it felt like ages until every single one of the team had gathered in the meeting room. She tried to keep her calm, though.

Ahsoka looked around the room and found that the others were also anxious to learn what this mission was about. It had to be time sensitive and important for it to disturb their week off.

“I have an important mission for you,” Bail started once he had everyone’s attention. “Over the past two weeks the Outer Rim has been terrorized by many kidnappings. It’s mostly focused on nonhumans. We had no leads as to where they went or who did it. Nothing, until yesterday. A young Twi’lek hid away when her village was raided and was saved by one of ours. She described the assailants and we concluded that it was the Zygerrians.”

Ahsoka stiffened. Zygerria. She did not have good memories about that place or the people. She should’ve expected she’d encounter them someday, being in the slave rescue business and all. But she’d always kept the silent hope that she wouldn’t have to.

Lorey noticed that Ahsoka tensed up at the mention of the Zygerrians. “Ahsoka? Are you okay?” she asked her.

Ahsoka snapped out of her trance and turned towards Lorey. “Yeah, fine. Just… don’t have good memories regarding the Zygerrians.”

“You have encountered them before?” Bail asked. Ahsoka nodded. The attention was now completely directed towards her. Ahsoka decided to just address Bail.

“The Jedi had a mission there, once. The people of Kiros were abducted by the Zygerrians back in the Clone Wars. Master Kenobi, Master Skywalker, Captain Rex and I were sent to infiltrate the planet to figure out where they took all the Togruta. It didn’t really go according to plan. We were captured and I was put in a cage. It was a horrible experience.”

Nobody said anything. Ahsoka understood why. It was again a difficult experience she’d gone through that she had to tell these people. At this rate they might think she was just some kriffed up person. Which, to be fair, wouldn’t be far from the truth at all.

“We’re sorry to hear that Ahsoka. I do hope your personal experience will not hinder you too much on this mission,” Bail said to her.

“Don’t worry sir, this only drives me to fix this problem even more,” Ahsoka stated, determination evident in her voice.

“I’m glad to hear that. Now, let’s go over the details…” Bail said as he started to explain everything they needed to do. Ahsoka listened, but nothing really got through. She was going into flashback mode. The darkness she remembered in Anakin back during their previous mission to Zygerria. It was hard to think that the darkness he now harnessed fulltime was already there, back then.

Ahsoka needed to keep herself from thinking too much about it and focusing back on the briefing. This was important stuff.

* * *

During the briefing they’d gathered as much information as they could. It was obvious the Zygerrians were doing this for the Empire. Just like they’d done it back then for the Separatists. Or Palpatine, come to think of it. He was behind everything of course.

Ahsoka also learned that the Prime Minister back then was now ruler of the planet. Since the queen died the last time she was there. That also was not a good sign. But then again, nothing they learned was a good sign.

They’d also come up with a plan, which was good news at least. The team was going to infiltrate the capital to learn as much intel as they could about where the slaves were kept. Then they would move to the facilities and free them.

If you think this sounded too easy to pull off, then you are probably right and Ahsoka agrees with you. It sounded exactly like the plan they had in the past. And that failed as well. But Ahsoka had voiced her complaints and they were ignored, so whatever. Let’s just do this. How bad could it be?

They all gathered in the shuttle and took off immediately. Ahsoka stayed quiet the whole flight. She had a bad feeling about this mission. It didn’t go unnoticed by the rest of the team, but they decided to leave her to it. They’d already fought with her during the briefing about the plan. It would be better not to provoke her again.

Yes, Ahsoka had fought this strategy during the briefing. She had not been quiet. She tried to make everyone see reason on this, but as stated before, she was ignored. They apparently didn’t agree with her, the only one who’d been to this planet before. That did not go over well with her.

And maybe called them a few colorful names. But you can’t prove anything. There’s no record of that.

* * *

They arrived several hours later. And they were in luck. There was an auction going on currently, so a lot of foreign people were on the planet. That helped in the fact that they wouldn’t be seen as obvious outsiders. They would just simply look like fellow buyers.

Ahsoka scoffed at their luck, but she wasn’t one to throw it away. It was useful to sweep the city unnoticed. So that’s exactly what they did. They split up in three groups and inspected every part of the city, except the palace. They would rendezvous at the slave pits.

Ahsoka had explicitly ordered not to get too close to it. It was easier to get caught there; she’d said. And also, the fact that the current ‘king’ had seen her in the past. He might recognize her and then she was kriffed for sure. But she didn’t say that out loud to the others.

So that’s where they were, sweeping the streets and only the streets. They’d each given each other a level of the city.

Ahsoka tried to keep her attention focused on observation but failed miserably. Her mind was constantly going back to the past. To Anakin. To Obi-Wan. To Rex… She’d walked these streets with them, ready to save her people. Now they were all split up. Anakin with the Empire, Obi-Wan in exile and Rex was who knows where.

Ahsoka sighed and scolded herself. She had no idea where they were or what they’d seen. She needed to keep her focus. A distraction could compromise this whole mission. She looked over at Lorey. She needed to know if anything special had come by yet.

“You see anything yet?” she asked.

Lorey shook her head. “No, but you should know that if you had been looking. Where were you in that head of yours?” she asked.

Ahsoka looked down. Busted. “I was just thinking. About the last time I was here. Sorry.”

Lorey smiled sympathetically at her. “It’s okay, I understand. You’re just lucky I’m with you and can observe for two.”

“Indeed I am. Thank you Lorey,” Ahsoka said a she smiled back. They continued walking.

* * *

Ahsoka and Lorey were the first to reach the slave pits. They stayed there a little longer and waited for the others. Two wasn’t enough to infiltrate this place. Luckily for them the others arrived not long after Lorey and Ahsoka did.

“Cover me,” Ahsoka said. She didn’t need to say more. Everyone moved into position. Ahsoka slowly crept closer to the pits. She wrapped her cloak a little tighter around her. She used the Force to project a ‘nothing to see here’ message to bystanders.

She got to the first pit and looked inside, and indeed, several of the people they’d been looking for were inside. She checked several other pits to find the same result. They were all here. Which meant they were going to be sold. Which meant imperials were going to be here. Or they already were.

Ahsoka made her way back to the edge and motioned for the others to regroup. They did so a few streets away.

“They’re all here. Which means they will be sold. The only one I can think of would be the Empire. And that means we’re about to have company. We’ll have to be careful. We can’t risk getting caught here. This time the entire planet will be our enemy.”

The others nodded. “Okay, here’s what we’ll do. The auction will take place in a few hours. We’ll keep watch on the city and find entry and exit points. We’ll have to move the shuttle in for the abducted people and our escape route must be clear. When the auction starts, we’ll be there. We’ll stay put for a little while. We need to know everyone who’s there and what our best options are. Only then can we start our rescue and escape. It’ll get messy, but that was the risk. Are we ready?” Lorey asked.

Everyone made noises of agreement. “That’s settled. We’ll split up again and sweep the city. Again. This time for our escape. Cornan and Thea, I want you to look for a way to get the shuttle in. the rest of us will look for escape routes. Are we clear?”

Again, everyone nodded. “let’s move,” Lorey said. And they did.

* * *

Two hours had passed and honestly, Ahsoka was getting bored. They’d found several exit points over an hour ago and they still had a whole hour to kill. Ahsoka decided to ask Lorey about Jordan, the guy she was supposed to ask out.

“So, since we have nothing to do for another hour I have to ask. How did it go with Jordan?” Ahsoka asked with a smirk.

Lorey looked at her with disbelieve. “Really? You’re asking about this now? That’s not the time Ahsoka,” Lorey hissed.

Ahsoka’s smirk only grew. “It’s exactly the time for something like this. We have nothing left to do and we need to blend in. being on our guard every second will only make us look suspicious. So, tell me. What happened? Did he say yes?”

Lorey sighed but had to agree that Ahsoka had a point. They should be more normal. “Okay, so. I tried to ask him, but… well… then we got called away.”

“You didn’t ask?! Lorey, you had plenty of time! What happened?”

“I got distracted by other things that needed my attention. Mission things.”

“Banthashit. You were afraid. I can’t believe it. You’re amazing Lorey. He would’ve said yes. Next time, I’ll go with you,” Ahsoka said with a big smile.

Lorey hung her head in defeat. “Alright, but only if we find someone for you as well. You need to learn how to date. For sure. If only so you won’t be so invested in my dating life.”

Ahsoka didn’t hesitate to agree. It would never work anyway. She was taught not to act on feelings of love so she would manage.

* * *

Before they knew it, the hour had passed, and they were at the arena. It slowly filled up with so many people. The three groups each entered on opposite sides and made sure to spot each other.

They’d had contact not long ago about all the exit points the separate groups had found, so everyone knew where to go. They’d made sure it was clear for everyone, so there would be no complications on that part.

Dara was the first to spot the imperials. To be fair, they weren’t that hard to miss. Everything about them screamed ‘I have a high status within the Empire. Respect me’. It disgusted Ahsoka.

None of them were familiar to her this time, so that was good. She kept her eye on them the whole time, though. They were the biggest enemy here. But certainly not the only one. The Zygerrians were still very much important. They could not underestimate any of them.

Force, Ahsoka hated not having backup of the army. They were truly alone this time. They waited in position for the auction to start.

Several more minutes and the king entered his special place. Ahsoka sensed him. She felt uneasy. She kept her head down. Try not to pull attention to yourself, Ahsoka. You’re doing great thus far.

The king addressed the people. “Welcome. It’s good to have all of you here to celebrate our return to the glorious world that is the slave trade. We welcome our new allies. The Galactic Empire.”

The rest of the speech fell on deaf montrals to Ahsoka. She had to keep herself from showing any sign of obvious disgust. There were guards everywhere.

And then all the slaves were suddenly being led into the arena. Ahsoka looked confused, which made the team confused. This was not how it worked. They weren’t supposed to be there, all at once. This changed things.

“What’s happening?” Lorey whispered.

“They’re all here. That’s not how it normally works. I don’t know what’s going on,” Ahsoka said back.

They exchanged worried glances. Were the Zygerrians doing things differently? Had they changed traditions? _Were they aware of the fact that they were here?_

Lorey used her comm to inform the others. They agreed they would still proceed according to the plan they had come up with. Nothing changed. In fact, this just made it easier.

Ahsoka didn’t know if she believed that. “I have a bad feeling about this,” she whispered to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this chapter about six times. It didn't agree with me.  
> The only thing I was sure about was the fact that the mission would be omnious. Let's see how it'll turn out in the next chapter. 
> 
> Everyone wash your hands and self isolate please. Stay safe!


	11. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything goes to shit. Ahsoka hates being right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the light of the Corona crisis, my country has decided to extend the measures in place until the end of April. After that we have something called "May Vacation" which starts at the end of April and leads into the beginning of May. That means that as of now, I have 4 more weeks at home.  
> In this time I've been binging Clone Wars again and get more excited about everything surrounding that everyday. Ahsoka's Arc is just everything. So much character building.. I can't even.

Ahsoka stood there, feeling very tense, watching all the slaves down in the arena. They were supposed to wait it out, but it was honestly hard for Ahsoka. Seeing all these people. They were all introduced. Why? Ahsoka didn’t know. What did it add to the auction? Slaves were nameless to their masters. Anakin had told her that. Throwing their names out there would do nothing.

Suddenly a thought entered her mind. Were they stalling? For what? Oh, Ahsoka really didn’t like this. Everything was now uncertain. Unclear. There were too many unknown factors for her to complete this mission without doubts. She again made eye contact with her teammates, but they didn’t really seem to care for the changes that much. That, or they were just hiding their unease very, very well.

Ahsoka was on her own, then. Maybe it was the Force, giving her a warning. But she was sure the others wouldn’t listen. They’d already shown that.

Then Lorey gave the signal. It was time to move. Kriff. Everyone moved into position towards the guards on their levels. They were supposed to take them out simultaneously.

Ahsoka got to her guards and waited for the second signal. And there it was. Lorey moved forward and attacked her guards. Ahsoka decided against a head-on assault. She moved in front of them. “ _Sleep,_ ” she said. The guard fell on the ground. Others came at them, but Ahsoka quickly used the same trick. In a matter of seconds all the guards in her aisle were down. She checked in with the others and saw Dara had some struggles.

Ahsoka checked if there was anyone who could see her, only to come up negative. She turned back to Dara, who was fighting two levels up from her. She pushed two guards away from the girl with the Force. Then she saw Jax and Lorey jump down into the arena and she followed. Thea was supposed to secure the King. But then that sleemo decided to speak up.

“Would you look at that. Our rebels have made themselves known. Welcome.”

Ahsoka stiffened. He knew. She turned around from freeing the slaves to stare at him. How was this possible? Had they given themselves away in the city? What went wrong?

“Don’t look so surprised. We’ve known you were here since the moment you arrived. We were prepared for your attack.”

And at that moment guards filed into the arena. There were so many of them. They were surrounded. Kriff, kriff, kriff. They could never win this. Cornan, Thea, Dara and Deo now also jumped into the arena. They had to stand together. Ahsoka drew one of her swords. The others followed suit. Several of the guards pulled out their electrical whips. Not good. They were hard to fight against. One wrong move, you were hit, and you would go down.

“Stay clear of the whips!” Ahsoka said and then she charged. Her first objective was to disarm. She would not harm anyone without reason. Not anymore. She was not like the Empire. Also, she didn’t want the unwanted attention. She caught several whips with her sword and pulled them back. But she’d forgotten how much stronger the Zygerrians were. This was gonna be hard.

Ahsoka bit through the electrical surges that went through her body. She could not go down. She damaged several whips, making them useless. She glanced around her for her friends. They were all holding up so far. Thank the Force.

Then Ahsoka looked at the King. He was seated in his special booth. Way too comfortable if it were up to her. There were several guards around him. She needed to get up there. Ahsoka jumped up towards his booth. The only reason she made it was the Force. She moved towards the King as fast as she could and held her sword at his neck.

“Nobody move!” Ahsoka almost screamed. It suddenly went quiet. Even the fighting in the arena stopped. “One move towards me or my team and your King dies,” she said.

Yes, she just said she would not harm anyone without reason, but this was necessary. They couldn’t win otherwise. But to Ahsoka’s surprise, the King just started laughing. “Foolish girl. You have already lost. Even if you manage to kill me and the guards down there, you’ll never save those slaves.”

And suddenly all the guards around the King held up a stick. And Ahsoka immediately knew what they were for. Kriff! The collars! There were at least 7 of them. She would never make it in time. They would shock the prisoners to death!

Then all at once, the guards in the arena started moving again. And most of her team saw it coming, but Dara was too late. They got several whips around her and she went down. Cornan tried to get to her, but he got electrocuted too while trying.

Ahsoka saw it happening. They were gonna lose. Unless she let go of this act and use the Force. She took a deep breath and dropped her sword. The guards in the room looked at each other for a second before they advanced on her, but they didn’t know what her goal was yet.

And in a split second, they were all pushed back against the wall. Ahsoka shed her robe and pulled her lightsabers of her belt. The King’s eyes widened. It was obvious he knew what was happening. “Jedi!” he yelled. But before he could say anything more Ahsoka slammed his head to the back of the chair with all the power she had. He did not move after that.

Ahsoka jumped down back into the arena. She was immediately assaulted by several whips, but she reflected them with her lightsabers. She sent as many of them flying into the wall with the Force as she could.

Ahsoka turned to her teammates when she had the time for a small breather. “Get the prisoners free! I can handle this!”

They looked like they wanted to protest but decided against it when Ahsoka paid them no mind anymore. She was back to fighting them off. And she was doing a damn good job at it as well. They moved to the slaves and cut their collars off. It wasn’t easy. They were made of strong steel, that was for sure. At least Ahsoka was buying them as much time as she could.

And Ahsoka was trying her best, but it was getting harder and harder not to harm them. She could not keep this up that way. Drastic measures were in order. One of the guards snuck up behind Ahsoka, but she sensed him. She stabbed one of her lightsabers behind her and impaled him. That seemed to create a shift on the arena floor.

It was a second’s pause, but then all the guards charged again. They planned to overwhelm her, but she was trained to manage that. The moment they lashed out with the whips, she jumped up. They touched each other. And several more fell. When she made her landing, she slashed out with her lightsabers, decapitating several of them.

Meanwhile, more and more of the prisoners were free. Lorey and Jax joined Ahsoka back in the fight. The tide was slowly turning back in their favor. And Ahsoka was so glad for it. It didn’t take long after that before all the guards were down. Either dead or unconscious.

“Let’s get out of here!” Lorey said. They rounded up all the prisoners and were ready to move out.

Then Ahsoka felt something strange in the Force. A warning. She turned back around and stared right into the eyes of one of the Imperial officers. She now knew it was done for her.

The Empire would come for her.

* * *

They made it to the shuttle not long after that. They lead all the freed prisoners in and took off immediately. Some of the freed slaves went to Ahsoka as soon as they could. “Thank you, Master Jedi. Thank you for saving us” they said. Ahsoka just nodded but didn’t say anything.

She wasn’t happy. They _know_. The _Empire_ knows. She’d hidden from them for almost 6 years, and now they knew. A dark thought came into her mind. What if she killed them before she left? They wouldn’t have been able to tell the Empire. Ahsoka shook her head. No! she can’t think like that. Never. Those thoughts belonged to the Dark Side. And she was already too close to that side today.

Ahsoka suddenly wondered if that was Anakin’s fault. Had he unconsciously slipped small parts of the Dark Side in her training? Was she in danger of falling as well? She was afraid to think like that.

Lorey was the one to pull her out of her thoughts. “Ahsoka, are you okay? You seem stressed,” the girl said.

Ahsoka gave her a smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes and she was pretty sure it looked fake. “Just thinking,” she managed to say.

“Let me guess. The Empire?” Lorey asked.

“They know. They’ll come for me. I’m not safe anymore. I’m a danger to you all. I need to go back and hide.”

“Don’t you dare Ahsoka. Don’t you _dare_. You do not get to think this way. We’re all on the run from the Empire. We’re all in danger. You are not shutting yourself off like that and you’re not just leaving us behind,” Lorey scolded her.

Ahsoka looked down. She did not want to admit that Lorey was right.

“We’ll figure this out Ahsoka. Together. Don’t you dare leave.”

Ahsoka looked at Lorey, and she looked very serious. She sighed. “Alright Lorey. You convinced me. Together.” She said. Though it wasn’t the truth. She wasn’t convinced at all. But it didn’t matter right now. She needed to talk to Bail first anyway. He needed to know that she was compromised now.

* * *

They arrived back on Alderaan and there were people ready to take the prisoners under their wing.

Ahsoka immediately left to speak to Bail. She didn’t even say anything to her teammates. Just walked out and straight into the palace. She asked one of the guards were Bail was.

He appeared to be in a meeting. So Ahsoka had to wait. She asked where the meeting was being held and then she made her way there. she waited behind the door. It felt like eternity before the meeting ended and Bail came out.

She stepped in front of him. “Senator Organa, sir, I need to talk to you.”

“Ah, Ahsoka, you’re back. How did the mission go?” he asked her as he motioned for her to walk with him. He has a busy schedule, so he needed to keep going.

Ahsoka fell into step next to him. “That’s what I wanted to talk about. We succeeded, but not without complications.”

“You seem serious. What were the complications?”

“Imperial officers were there. Probably the buyers of the prisoners that were gonna be sold. I had to use the Force and my lightsabers to get us out, and they saw. I’m sure of it.”

Bail looked at her. The implication was clear. The Empire knew.

“They must’ve told the higher ups by now. I’m pretty sure they’re already looking for me. I don’t know if I can stay here.”

“Don’t be ridiculous Ahsoka. Your entire team is already on the Empire’s agenda. We could really use your help here. I would understand if you left, but I hope you don’t. Together we stand stronger,” Bail said to her.

Ahsoka looked down. “I know that, sir. But I’m not just afraid of the Empire. I’m afraid of who they’ll send after me.”

Bail understood what she was getting at. It was widely known across the Galaxy who hunted the remaining Jedi. “Vader,” he said hard enough for her to hear, but nobody else.

Ahsoka nodded. “I’m not ready to face him. Not yet.”

Bail nodded. “We’ll figure this out Ahsoka. For now, we should try not to worry. You had another successful mission. You should celebrate with your team. Go.”

“Yes sir. Thank you for listening and understanding,” she said as she bowed slightly. Force of habit. Then she walked away to join her teammates again. But she kept thinking about what was to come.

* * *

Bob was working in the Intelligence section on the _Devastator_. Intelligence had just gotten word that a Jedi had been sighted, and Bob was sent to inform the Commanding Officer of the star destroyer.

His reputation precedes him, and Bob was nervous he might not get out of this situation alive. Jedi were a sensitive topic to his CO, or so he’d heard. He made his way to the bridge where the figure stood by the viewport overlooking the galaxy. Bob slowly approached him.

“My Lord,” he began, waiting for confirmation he’d been heard and had permission to speak. The only indication he got was a very slight tilt of the black mask in his direction. If Bob hadn’t been looking for it, he would’ve missed it.

“There has been a confirmed Jedi sighting on Zygerria. Our officers on planet reported a Force user with 2 blue lightsabers aiding in the escape of slaves there,” Bob said.

He was proud that his voice only broke two times during his report. If only it would be enough. The mask tilted further now, and Bob could feel a slightly uncomfortable pressure on his throat. He brought his hand up to his neck in reflex. A few seconds later the slight pressure disappeared.

“Have this information forwarded to the Grand Inquisitor with the command to hunt this Jedi down,” his commander’s voice boomed through the voice modulator.

“Yes, Lord Vader. We’ll send word right away.” Bob was dismissed when his Commanding Officer turned back towards the viewport.

Bob made his way out of the bridge as fast as he could. Some would say he ran, but he would deny that statement. At least he was still alive.

Darth Vader stood at the head of the command deck; arms crossed. He looked out into the galaxy. In the past 6 years many fleeing Jedi had been found and exterminated. It had become a little quiet, so for there to be a new one, and aiding the rebellion – if one could even call it that – was a welcoming surprise. Now it was up to his Inquisitors to exterminate this Jedi as well. He had other things to attend to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Vader has made his entrance. Took him long enough if you ask me ;)  
> Yes, I know the Devastator wasn’t canonically made for many years later, but this is canon divergence for a reason. Deal with it *throws up peace sign*.


	12. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka's first encounter with an Inquisitor.

The Grand Inquisitor was at Fortress Inquisitorius when he got a message from the Devastator. Lord Vader had a new assignment for the Inquisitors. A new Jedi sighting had been reported.

The Grand Inquisitor would’ve gone after them himself, but he had other assignments waiting for him, like the training of some of the other Inquisitors since Lord Vader was currently away. He called Fourth Sister to relay the information and hand the assignment off. And with that it was out of his hands. It would not be long before another Jedi would be eliminated. He smirked to himself. This part of the job never got old.

* * *

The Fourth Sister got to work immediately, but it appeared to be a hard job. The only info she’d gotten was that the Jedi was a Togruta with two lightsabers, blue. Young adult and in a rebel group. That didn’t help all that much.

Finally, after weeks of following up leads and searching, something promising came on her path. A conspicuous group was on Corellia, one of them a Togruta that fit the description. It was finally time to end this Jedi.

* * *

Ahsoka and her team were on Corellia, laying low. It had been weeks since she’d revealed herself to the Empire. They’d discussed what to now, since she was a target. Ahsoka wanted to leave, but none of her teammates would let her. They were all very persuasive and, in the end, it was decided for her to stay. Not that they would’ve let her leave if she had tried. And she didn’t want to leave. They were her friends.

So, they’d all accepted the danger and continued together. But missions would not be started again, yet. It had been decided that was something too dangerous to do. It was one thing to let such a high-profile target stay in the group, it was another to seek out trouble with such a high-profile target among you.

And that’s how the team found themselves on Corellia. With all the smugglers and workers on the planet nobody noticed them. And they’d dressed for the occasion. They wore industrial outfits, of course.

They pretended to work on their ship and Dara even got a ‘job’ working on someone else’s freighter. It was all working out for them.

Currently, Ahsoka was walking along the streets of the city with Cornan and Dara, on their way to drop her off at ‘work’ and get new supplies for their shuttle. It was a routine walk, like they’d done every time, never letting Dara go alone. You could never be too careful as ‘rebels’. And besides, the ship needed some new parts to continue full capacity of the primary systems.

They were chatting, as always. But Ahsoka didn’t feel comfortable on this oh-so-normal walk. Something was wrong. The Force felt clouded somehow. A dark presence. She just knew something was about to happen but had no idea what.

Ahsoka decided not to sound any alarm to her friends, yet. But she was on guard. She hadn’t seen anything dangerous, and the Force had been wrong before in her life. A clouded sense did not always mean imminent danger. But she could not let her guard down. Cornan noticed this after a little while.

“Is something wrong Ahsoka? You look on edge.”

Ahsoka looked up at Cornan and Dara, who both looked at her, worried.

“I don’t know yet. The Force feels clouded. Like something is going to happen. Something bad. But I haven’t found anything out of the ordinary yet, so let’s not worry yet. I’ll keep my guard up and let you know if I start to feel something different.”

Cornan and Dara shared a look but didn’t say anything else. Ahsoka knew why. They couldn’t understand what she was feeling. The Force was a mystery to the people who had no connection to it. Especially since the Jedi purges. Most experienced Force users were gone, there was no one to teach the world about it.

They continued to walk and arrived at Dara’s destination.

“Goodluck today Dara. We’ll be back in several hours. Comm us if you need something from us,” Cornan said to Dara. Ahsoka stopped listening, so she didn’t hear if Dara said anything back, because suddenly the Force flared in warning.

“Get out of the way!” Ahsoka screamed and jumped aside just as a red-colored dual lightsaber zoomed past her head. Its round hilt spun at a dangerously fast pace, rotating the blades. Cornan and Dara jumped back at Ahsoka’s scream. They stood wide-eyed, seeing the red lightsaber.

Ahsoka turned around quickly, facing her opponent. It couldn’t be Anakin. She was sure of it. She was proven right when the lightsaber was sent back into the hands of a woman, completely dressed in black. The Dark Side flowed off her in waves, but she was no Sith like she knew Anakin now was. It must be an Inquisitor.

“Get inside! Hide!” Ahsoka said to Cornan and Dara. They would’ve stayed and fought with her, but it was quite obvious they couldn’t help Ahsoka in this fight in any way. They rushed their way inside and hid away. That was their best option.

All the other people in the market stopped to stare at what was happening, but at the sight of the lightsaber and Ahsoka’s words to hide to her friends, they started to run away. They, too, didn’t want anything to do with this part of the Empire. Before she knew it, the entire street was abandoned except for her and her opponent. Ahsoka ignited her lightsabers and moved into a fighting position.

“I have to say Jedi, you were hard to find. You were untraceable for weeks, but you slipped up. Good for me. Your demise will please Lord Vader.”

“I’m gonna have to correct you there, I’m no Jedi. And I’m gonna have to disappoint _Lord Vader_ ,” Ahsoka said the last part in a mocking tone. “Today will not be my demise and not my capture either.”

And with that, Ahsoka made the first move full of aggression, surprising the Inquisitor. Jedi weren’t known to lash out with aggression, but Ahsoka had been trained to attack, instead of defending. Thank you, Anakin.

Their lightsabers clashed; the sound of electricity crackled in the air. It had been so long since Ahsoka had been in a real lightsaber fight. It was something to get used to, again, but the feeling was exhilarating. A completely different challenge. A way to prove she could still do it.

They were both agile fighters, that because obvious quite fast. The fight was all fast blows and evasive actions. Ahsoka would strike low, and the Inquisitor would block and parry. Or the other way around. It looked almost like a lightshow, for the fact that they both were dual wielders. Red continuingly clashing with blue, four blades swinging to every side.

She needed to end this, was all that was going through Ahsoka’s head. She couldn’t attract attention to herself. She decided to switch tactics and go on full offence. Fight to kill, not to disarm or capture. She slashed her sabers forwards at high speed, but she Inquisitor blocked and parried every single one of her attacks. Ahsoka got angry. She pushed her sabers forward in a block. The Inquisitor met her head on. Now it was a question of who was stronger. They both pushed, harder and harder.

“I have to say, Jedi. You fight different than all the others I have encountered. But it’s not good enough.”

Ahsoka grit her teeth and pushed even harder. “Shouldn’t be such a surprise, given the fact that _your_ master taught me,” she taunted.

And that got the effect Ahsoka had hoped for. Confusion, which resulted in the Inquisitor faltering. Ahsoka used the Force to push the Inquisitor back against the wall, hard. She held her there, immobile.

“You see,” Ahsoka continued her taunt, “your master was once my master. He taught me everything before he even _knew_ you. You _never_ even stood a chance against me.” Yeah, Ahsoka was bluffing, but that was the whole point here.

And then Ahsoka knew what she had to do. She couldn’t let the Inquisitor go. Not after what she just told her. Besides, this being was a danger to the Galaxy, to any Force user. At least, that’s what she told herself to justify this decision.

Ahsoka was thankful for the fact that the Inquisitor wore a mask, so she couldn’t see her face when she lifted her lightsaber and slashed it across her midsection. The woman fell to the floor and Ahsoka checked if there was no way she would survive. Then she turned away. She couldn’t let this get to her. She had to do this. It was the only way.

People were starting to come around the corners, out of their hiding places, having heard the silence that followed their fight. Everyone looked at her and the Inquisitor. The whispers started. Ahsoka felt incredibly uncomfortable. She rushed inside to find Cornan and Dara.

“Cornan! Dara! Where are you! We have to leave!” Ahsoka yelled once inside. Slowly her friends came out of their hiding places.

“Where is the Inquisitor?” Dara asked.

“Taken care of. Now let’s go. We must get off this planet. If one of them knows we’re here, others might follow soon. Especially once they realize this one won’t check in ever again. Dara, is there a way we can go out the back?” Ahsoka asked. She needed to get back to business. No time to explain everything.

Dara nodded. “This way.” and they followed her outside.

Ahsoka commed the others to rendezvous at the ship, now.

* * *

The three of them rushed back towards the ship and ran inside. Lorey and Jax were in the back area, where the ramp was located and saw them first.

“What’s going on?” Lorey asked, worried. “You wanted everyone here. Why?”

“The Empire found us. An Inquisitor attacked me. I took care of it, but there is no guarantee that more won’t follow. We have to leave, now.”

It was clear that Lorey understood. Thea and Deo weren’t back yet, but they had said they’d heard the message and were on their way. Thank the Force it did not take long for them to arrive. Right after they ran in the ramp closed and they took off. The ship jumped to hyperspace as soon as possible.

They all sat there, almost frozen from the shock and confusion. This was so sudden. Ahsoka felt guilty. This was because of her. They had a safe spot and had to give it up because of her. Ahsoka noticed Lorey looking at her. She didn’t know how much time had passed, or how long she’d been staring at her, but Ahsoka did know why. She looked away.

“Don’t do this to yourself Ahsoka. It wasn’t your fault.”

Ahsoka defiantly didn’t look back towards Lorey. “It _is_ my fault. They only came because of me. You know that.”

“It’s not fair to do this to yourself. We’re so glad to have you. We are aware of the risks and we don’t care, so you shouldn’t stay hung up over it either. Yes, they came after you, but you took care of it. And if we can help next time, we will. But don’t start the ‘I want to do this alone’ discussion again. It won’t do you any good. We won’t let you.”

Ahsoka looked Lorey in the eye at that. Lorey sounded so convinced. Ahsoka wished she had that confidence. But she knew Lorey was right. She couldn’t leave. They’d been over that before.

“Thank you Lorey. For having that much trust in me. It means a lot.”

Lorey smiled at that. Ahsoka smiled back.

“Now it’s time to find ourselves a new place to lie low. Anyone got any ideas?”

It stayed silent for a while. Nobody really knew where to go. They had to think this through. None of the crew wanted to repeat this event anytime soon. It was obvious more Inquisitors were coming. And under no circumstance could Ahsoka let them find out who she was. She couldn’t let _Vader_ find out who she was.

* * *

Ahsoka stared out the window at the blue swirl around them. Normally the sights of the hyperspace lane would calm her. Now, it did nothing for her. It only made her more anxious. She closed her eyes and let herself drift in the Force. It wasn’t her planning to meditate, but she felt like she needed to. The last time she’d meditated was when she met Obi-Wan on Tatooine. That had been more than 7 months ago now. It was due time.

Ahsoka didn’t necessarily ask the Force for something in her meditation, but she kind of did want answers on how to proceed. How could she fight this?

But of course, the Force gave her no such clarity. Instead she focused on her surroundings. On the people around her. She felt their feelings, heard their thoughts. It was intruding, she knew, but she needed to know what they were really thinking. If the Force wouldn’t give her clarity on what to do, maybe they could. If they really wanted her to stay or not.

To Ahsoka’s surprise, they all felt exactly the way they’d said. They didn’t want her to leave. Sure, they were unsure of what to do, but their thoughts betrayed the fact that they weren’t gonna let her leave. It was comforting, to say the least. They truly wanted her there, despite the difficult situations she’ll bring on them.

But they could never truly understand what Ahsoka was facing. There was only one that knew and could help her. She opened her eyes and walked to the back of the ship. She pulled out her comms unit and called the familiar number. Again, it took a little while for Obi-Wan to pick up.

“ _Hello Ashla, I didn’t expect you to contact me._ ” It was clear Obi-Wan could see her face and the worry she showed, because his tone changed. “ _What’s wrong?_ ”

“They found me, Obi-Wan. They know where I am. An Inquisitor attacked me on Corellia today.”

Obi-Wan looked at her, now also worried. “ _I’m sorry to hear that Ahsoka. I’m sure you did your best. It was inevitable. But I see you got away._ ”

Obi-Wan clearly also ignored they codenames now. It was obvious to him Ahsoka just needed to hear things the normal way. Ahsoka looked down.

“She will never be a problem again.”

“ _So, you killed her,_ ” Obi-Wan stated matter-of-factly.

Ahsoka looked up at that. “I had to. I gave myself away. My identity. If they reported back to Vader… Who knows what he would do if he knew…” she trailed off.

“ _You gave yourself away **how**?_” Was all Obi-Wan asked.

“I needed to get an opening. Needed to let her falter. So, I told her that her master had taught me as well. I know that wasn’t giving away my name, but still. If she’d told Vader, he could’ve easily guessed. Togruta, young adult. He’s not stupid.”

Obi-Wan nodded in understanding but did not comment on her last statement. “ _You seem troubled about your decision,_ ” he stated matter-of-factly, going back to her decision to end the Inquisitor.

“I mean, yeah. It’s not the Jedi way to just kill. I won; I didn’t have to end her.”

“ _You’re right, it’s not the Jedi way, but you’re no longer a Jedi and we’re not in the Jedi era anymore, as much as it pains me to say that. The Order is gone. Times change. This is about survival and that means making tough choices sometimes. You did the right thing. Just like you said. Vader can’t know._ ”

Ahsoka nodded. “Thank you Obi-Wan. I needed to hear that.”

“ _I know,_ ” he said with a reassuring smile.

“So, how should I proceed now? This’ll hardly be the last Inquisitor they’ll send after me.”

“ _I agree. You’ll just continue the way you do now, although maybe trying to lie low just a little bit more. Couldn’t harm to be cautious. I have faith in you. You’ll figure it all out and you’ll come out on top. Goodluck Ahsoka._ ”

“You too Obi-Wan. Thanks again.”

He again smiled at her and then the connection cut off. She felt better now. More determined. If he had faith in her, then she should have faith in herself as well.

She returned to the front of the ship. Nobody asked what she was doing back there. Probably for the better. She wasn’t gonna explain. They continued to fly through hyperspace. Next objective: find a new place to lay low.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Ahsoka, she's so conflicted. I wish I could say it would get easier for her. Oh well.


	13. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team settles down on a new planet and something happens to Ahsoka which she has mixed feelings about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter I've written so far and I'm very proud of it. How did it happen? Well, I had a plan for Ahsoka, and she just decided to do everything differently. I guess that happens. 
> 
> I just wanted to say, I've been enjoying everything about TCW season 7. The Bad Batch, Ahsoka's Walkabouts. Everything. But seeing that TV Spot yesterday for The Siege of Mandalore... I have never been this hyped before in my life and I wish it was friday already. 
> 
> With that said, onto the story XD

The Grand Inquisitor was getting frustrated. The Fourth Sister had failed to check in at the given time. It had been 24 standard hours now. That meant only one thing; she had failed. Something must’ve taken her out. The Inquisitor’s bet was on the Jedi she’d been sent to eradicate. The last update placed her on Corellia. That’s where the Fourth Sister was headed before everything went dark on her end.

The Grand Inquisitor called upon Sixth Brother. The assignment would go to him, then. If he also wouldn’t succeed, he would assign the task to himself. They could _not_ disappoint Lord Vader like this. The disappearance of Fourth Sister had to remain a secret; for now.

The Sixth Brother reported in not long after. “You have an assignment?” he asked harshly. Yeah, the Inquisitors didn’t get along. Big shock.

“Yes, indeed. Several weeks ago, Fourth Sister was sent after a Jedi. She’s failed to check in. I think you and I both know what happened to her. And even if I’m wrong in that, I’m not giving her more time. She’s done. The job is yours now. Find this Jedi and do what you must. There were no specifications.”

“Description?” the Sixth Brother asked curtly.

“Togruta. Young adult. Two blue lightsabers. Part of a rebel group. Last tracked on Corellia. Start there. Now.”

And with that the Sixth Brother left. He better come back more results than the failure that was the Fourth Sister. If she wasn’t dead, he was going to make sure she would be. Failure is unacceptable.

* * *

The team had been flying for days now. They had refueled on Nal Hutta but other than that they had not set down on any planet. The objective was to try and remain as untraceable as possible. They’d even flown in circles to throw any Imperial off their scent.

Their time on Nal Hutta was stressful. There were bounty hunters everywhere. Ahsoka made sure to throw on the cloak she thankfully still had on the ship. The place wasn’t only full of bounty hunters, but also Imperial stormtroopers. Ahsoka made sure to keep her head down. She didn’t want them ratting her out to an Inquisitor, or worse.

Deo and Jax had left the ship for supplies while Lorey handled the refueling. It all seemed to go just fine. Lorey had handed off the credits for the fuel and they were now just waiting on Jax and Deo. But the way they arrived back at the ship did not bode well for them.

The both om them came running at the ship, and fast. At least they both carried supplies, was all Ahsoka thought. It was nothing new to be running away. Stormtroopers followed the men not long after.

“We need to leave! Now!” Jax screamed at them as they got closer. Ahsoka didn’t waste time and made her way to the cockpit. She started up the engines and waited for the signal to take off. That came not long after she’d taken the pilot seat. “Close the ramp! Take off now!” Lorey demanded as she opened the door to the cockpit. Ahsoka obliged immediately and lifted the shuttle off the ground. Behind her she heard the ramp doors of the shuttle closing.

Then the radars started to beep furiously. Ahsoka looked at them and they showed several targets following them. TIEs.

“We have TIE fighters incoming! Someone get behind the gun!” Ahsoka demanded to the team. One of them must’ve heard her because not long after they were shooting back. Thank the Force for the fact they equipped the shuttle with weapons not long ago. They hit several targets before Ahsoka gave the good news.

“Coordinates are set, jumping to lightspeed now.” And with that she pulled the lever. The stars stretched beyond them and within seconds they were engulfed by the familiar blue hue of hyperspace. Ahsoka let out a relieved sigh. She turned the pilot seat around towards her team.

“How did they find us so quickly? I thought we evaded them?” she asked.

Jax and Deo shared a look which could only mean trouble.

“They didn’t,” Deo spoke up. “Mister impatient here decided it would be better _not_ to pay for the supplies so we could get out of here. He thought it was a masterplan. Of course it wasn’t. We got caught and had to run away. That’s how we got them on our tails.”

Lorey sighed in frustration. “How could you?! We’re running from the Empire. The whole idea in that is that we keep our heads down and do nothing to get their attention. **Nothing**. So how come you decided this was a good idea?” She stared at Jax.

“Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. I’m sorry. I should’ve thought it through. It got us in danger and that shouldn’t have happened. I take full responsibility. What chore would you have me do?” Jax asked, his head slightly downwards.

Lorey turned to Ahsoka. “Any work on the shuttle that needs to be done the next time we land?”

“We’ve sustained some damage from the onslaught of TIEs we just encountered. That could be patched up. I’m sure Jax could fix that just fine. Should be within your skillset.” Ahsoka smirked at Jax.

Jax gave her a foul look in return but accepted the punishment. Now it was only the question of where to put the ship down next. They pulled up the Holomap.

“We can’t stay in space forever. Not anymore. We have to find a new place to hide out,” Lorey said as she traced the map. “We can’t go to Kessel. The spice mines are not a place you want to mess with and if you end up there… Well, it’s hard to get anyone out of there. A mission for another day.”

“Kashyyyk is out of the question. We can’t lay low on a Wookiee world. Besides, it’s still heavily under the Empire’s control,” Dara stated, pointing at the next system on their route from Nal Hutta.

“Kijimi is not an option right now. We got intel that they’ve been invaded by the Empire not long ago. We would only attract unwanted attention,” Thea said.

“So, what is this next planet on the map?” Jax asked.

“That’s Lothal. Not much is known about the system. It has an Imperial factory – the Empire is slowly taking over every bit of their industry it can – but other than that it appears to not be that important,” Deo replied.

Ahsoka and Lorey shared a look. That sounded like a good place to hide and blend in as workers. Ahsoka was the one to speak up. “So that’s where we’re going. We’ll check it out. If it’s nothing good, we’ll move on, but we can’t afford to stay floating in space like this. We’ll likely run into a Star Destroyer that way. That’s something we need to avoid at all costs.”

The others nodded. It was decided then. Ahsoka reset the navi computer to the Lothal system. The rest of the way they talked strategies. What to do when they reach the planet. Who would take on what role? Those were all things that needed to be discussed again. They’d spoken about it before, only lightly. But now that they were really heading for a new planet, it had to be clear. Last time Dara was the one to get involved with the crowds. This time it would be Deo. Ahsoka was to stay with the shuttle at all times. They could not risk another run-in with an Inquisitor so it would be best for her not to go to any public places. They had no idea how tight the Imperial control would be on Lothal. 

What the rest was going to do, was loosely interpreted. They would switch roles. Who would get the supplies? Who would accompany Deo? Everything was up for rotation. Ahsoka understood she wasn’t to be included in that, she really did, but she wished it was different. She wanted to get out there. She wasn’t one to stay cooped up in the shuttle. When it was a Venator, sure, but a small shuttle? No thank you. Sadly enough she didn’t have a choice. She was a risk and she had to act accordingly.

* * *

They landed on Lothal at one of the bigger cities, but it was quite obvious the Empire had a lot of control here due to its entire industry being taken over. At least they didn’t appear to care about the normal folks that much. That made it easier to slip by undetected. At first sight it became obvious that beings of all species lived here. That made it easier to blend in.

All Ahsoka’s teammates carefully left the shuttle to explore. Ahsoka stayed behind, of course. She kept an eye on everything from the shuttle, checked everyone that walked by but saw nothing suspicious. Despite the occasional stormtrooper of course.

Luckily for her was the fact that the others had already paid for the docking of their ship at the docking station, so none of the stormtroopers went up towards their shuttle. She was sure her information had been shared among their ranks. Didn’t mean they would recognize her, though. Stormtroopers appeared to be quite stupid. Ahsoka would never understand why they traded the clone army in for this incompetent ‘army’. But she shouldn’t complain. She was against the Empire, so it made it easier for her. By all means, continue training incompetent soldiers.

It felt like hours for Ahsoka, but then her team returned. They’d brought supplies for her to keep herself busy. They filled her in on everything they’d encountered.

“It’s a good place to lay low. The planet houses many different people who came here to work in the factories. It would be our ultimate cover to get in there. We could do some serious damage like that as well. If we can disrupt their manufacturing process, would be great,” Deo reported.

“Stormtroopers do checks on identities and supplies that everyone has. I can tell you that it would be too dangerous to let you out of here. If they check, it would be very easy for them to take you in. We can’t have that,” Lorey told Ahsoka. She nodded. It was expected.

So, everyone got to work on their new temporary home. Ahsoka made the shuttle into her personal space. She wanted to make it livelier than just the empty shuttle they were used to. It wasn’t the Jedi way to decorate ones living quarters, but her master and her never really cared. His room was littered with his stuff, everywhere. She’d just stolen this habit, she guessed.

Ahsoka made a little meditation space for herself. Nobody protested, thankfully. A little later she decided to make use of it. She’d somehow gotten nostalgic and wanted to know about Anakin. She pulled out her lightsabers – the only thing she had left of him, really – and laid them out in front of her. She closed her eyes and focused on the artifacts, trying to get some connection going without giving herself away. She wanted to know what he was up to. Where he was. Was he looking for her? Or, well, her… the Jedi the Empire was currently hunting, since they didn’t know who she was.

But just like last time, the Force told her nothing. She opened her eyes again and sighed in frustration. Lorey approached her.

“You seem like you could use some company. What’s bothering you?”

Ahsoka sighed again. She knew what Lorey was doing. Trying to get her to talk about her feelings.

“I was trying to meditate. To form a connection to something of my old life. It didn’t work, just like last time.”

Lorey didn’t comment on her failure to connect to what she was looking for. Instead she pried further. “What were you trying to connect with?”

No reason to hide it now. What hurt could it do, telling this story. As long as she didn’t speak of all the details it would be no problem.

“It’s a who, actually. My master. Anakin Skywalker. He was my best friend, he felt like my older brother. He taught me everything I know.”

Lorey nodded in understanding. “Wanna tell me about him? You seem like you need to.”

Ahsoka smiled. “He was the most powerful Jedi I knew. The Chosen One, according to the Council. Which meant he was stronger in the Force than anyone else, apparently. He wasn’t like any other Jedi either. He didn’t really care all that much about their rules. That made us both into troublemakers, I guess. But we had fun. I cared about him, a lot. And I hope he cared about me as well. I guess I’ll never really know.”

Ahsoka let out a chuckle when the next thought entered her mind. “At first he hated me. He thought I would slow him down,” Ahsoka huffed. “Little did he know he would be running after me a lot. He wanted to send me back. I must’ve proven myself, because before I knew it, we were friends.

To the outside world he was The Hero With No Fear, but that wasn’t all he was. He was compassionate, would do anything for the ones he cared about. It’s only thanks to him I wasn’t found guilty in my trial and executed. When I left the Jedi, it was the right thing, but no one will ever know how hard it was to walk away from him. He ran after me when I walked away. He almost begged me not to leave the Order. Not to leave him, but I couldn’t stay. I had silently hoped he would’ve followed me. I knew he wanted to leave the Order as well, deep within his heart. But he didn’t. I can’t blame him. The Jedi were his life just as much as it used to be mine.”

Ahsoka took a deep breath. She was getting slightly emotional talking about all this with someone. She hadn’t been able to really talk about her relationship with Anakin since she’d left the Order. Obi-Wan didn’t count. That wasn’t a happy conversation in any way.

Lorey continued to nod in understanding through everything Ahsoka said. Of course she’d heard of the famous Hero With No Fear. She’d never heard his story like this, though. “Did you ever see him again after you left?”

“Once. The last military operation I ever did for the Republic. The Siege of Mandalore. I needed Republic support for that, so I contacted the only one I knew who could help me. I had access to his subspace frequency. They helped me by giving me the resources I needed. Sadly enough Anakin couldn’t come with me. He had to be the hero and save the Chancellor when he got kidnapped in the Battle of Coruscant. He did give me my lightsabers to help. The only thing I have left of him. That was the last time I saw him before the Republic fell and the Jedi were murdered.”

Ahsoka closed her eyes. Lorey put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Do you know what happened to him?” she asked. Ahsoka hesitated but shook her head. It’s better if no one ever knew what he’d become.

“A small part of me hopes he’s out there somewhere, but I’m afraid he’s gone. I have to accept that, I guess.” It wasn’t a lie. She had to accept that Anakin had fallen and was, in a sense, gone. Her only hope would be that he was still in there, in the head of that monster, but the chances of that were slim at best. In a sense it was even selfish to think that. If some part of him was still in there, it was trapped inside a dark, twisted mind. She wouldn’t wish that upon his conscience.

At Ahsoka’s last words Lorey moved to give her a hug. Ahsoka accepted the sign of affection. She didn’t know if she needed the comforting, but it was welcome nonetheless. And then suddenly the Force flared around her. Without warning she sunk deep within her mind. And then she felt something. It was cold, dark. She felt hatred, pain. It was some sort of presence. It felt caged somehow. She was afraid to reach out and was so glad she didn’t when she realized what it was. Anakin!

Ahsoka jolted back to reality with a gasp. In her action she threw Lorey away from her. The other girl fell back. Ahsoka breathed heavily. Lorey immediately made her way back to her side.

“Ahsoka! Are you okay? What just happened? Are we in danger?”

It was logical for Lorey to think that, Ahsoka thought. The Force had told Ahsoka when there was danger and she acted the same way when that happened. But that wasn’t it this time. She shook her head.

“No, no. I- I felt something. Just the Force telling me something. It’s not important. Don’t worry about it.”

“It’s clearly not nothing, Ahsoka. You seem very distraught.”

And yeah, Lorey had a point. She was distraught. She’d made her first connection with Anakin- no, Vader. That was _not_ Anakin. He did _not_ feel like that. Anakin had always felt like a bright, warm sun. This, this was so cold it hurt. She was _afraid_ of the overwhelming dark presence that had just entered her mind.

Ahsoka snapped at Lorey. “I said don’t worry about it! Leave me alone!” And with that she pushed Lorey back with the Force. Not hard, no, but enough for her to be two meters away from her now.

Lorey looked at her with wide eyes but obliged. “Alright. I’m sorry I asked. I hope you figure this out,” was all she said before leaving Ahsoka alone completely.

But Ahsoka hadn’t even heard any of it. All she could think about was what had just happened. She’d felt him. She’d connected with him. But had he felt her too? Did she give herself away? She didn’t even do anything! The Force did!

Ahsoka curled in on herself and softly cried into her knees. Of course she knew what Anakin had become. That fact was already obvious, but to _feel_ it. To be in that mindset… That asked a certain amount of acceptance she hadn’t been able to give yet. In truth, she hadn’t accepted any of this at all. Her mind had unconsciously kept denying that he could be like that. He was part of her family. Family doesn’t do such a thing. He could never!

But the evidence had just presented itself, there in her mind. And it was obviously Vader. The Force told her so. Her master had gone completely dark. So, so dark. He was truly gone.

More tears kept falling from Ahsoka’s eyes. She sobbed uncontrollably and closed herself off from the Force. She needed time for herself now. She needed to heal, how dramatic that might sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so, so sorry Ahsoka. But it's her own fault. I did not have this planned for her, but she just went this way anyway.


	14. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka deals with the aftermath of the connection made and faces a new foe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to tell you that last weeks episode of TCW has wrecked me emotionally and I'm still dealing with it now.

They’d been on Lothal for a week and Ahsoka kept herself closed off the entire time. Nobody knew what was going on with her. She didn’t say a word. A lot of the time she was left alone on the shuttle, as agreed upon before they’d arrived. At that time Ahsoka hated the idea, now she was grateful for it. She didn’t want any of the others prying in her business and she wasn’t planning on leaving her safe spot either.

The others were worried about her, Ahsoka knew. She’d heard them talking about her. Lorey had told them what happened. Well, what she knew at least. Ahsoka would never tell anyone the full story.

Ahsoka hadn’t felt Anakin- no, Vader’s presence ever since that moment. On one side, she was glad. She didn’t want to feel that ever again. On the other side, she wanted to connect with him. Wanted to know if he still knew her. If he still somehow cared. She’d tried to see if it were possible again through meditation but failed. Their bond was closed off, like it had been for almost 6 years now.

Thea approached her. “Hey, Ahsoka. We’re going into the city to get some supplies; can we get you something?” She sounded so sincere.

Ahsoka shook her head but didn’t say anything. She had no need for anything special. She couldn’t think of anything, because even though she couldn’t form a new connection with Anakin, the dark and cold from the last one had lingered in her mind.

“Well, alright then.” Thea hesitated for a second. It was obvious she wanted to say something else. Ahsoka looked at her. Thea decided to just say it.

“Will you be okay here on your own?” The true question was left hanging in the air: will you be okay at all?

Ahsoka just nodded. “I’ll be okay, I promise. Just have some Force-stuff I need to work out. But thanks for thinking of me.” She smiled at Thea, albeit a weak one. It appeared to be enough.

Thea smiled back. “Alright then. Comm us if you need anything, okay?”

Again, Ahsoka nodded. The group decided to leave it at that and left the shuttle, leaving Ahsoka alone. She pulled out her comm device. As said before, they’d been here for a week. She has had these feelings and thoughts for a week. Every attempt to figure them out further or get rid of them failed. Ahsoka realized she couldn’t do this on her own. She needed the advice of a master in the Force.

So she called Obi-Wan, logically. She waited for a connection on the other end, but nothing happened. Ahsoka was disappointed. His help was really needed. She wanted to say she expected it or understood, but there was nothing he could be doing that kept him away from answering his comm. His life wasn’t that exciting anymore. The darkness in her mind grew again at the negative experience – which might be a bit of an exaggeration, calling it negative like that, but her mind was too occupied to care.

Ahsoka turned away from the comm in search of something to keep her mind from going down that path again. There must be a datapad around here somewhere. She needed something to read. When she finally found one, her comm chimed. Ahsoka looked up and pressed answer as quick as she could. The familiar figure of Obi-Wan appeared.

“ _Sorry Ashla. I was too late to answer. I wasn’t expecting to talk to you again so soon, so I was watching the boy. I couldn’t answer the comm there._ ” Obi-Wan said.

Ahsoka nodded. “I wasn’t planning on calling, but something happened, and I needed the advice of a master. Given the fact that you’re the only one that I know that is still alive, I contacted you.”

“ _I understand. Tell me about what happened and what I can do to help._ ”

“About a week ago I made a sudden connection. To him. I don’t know how. I was just talking with a friend about the past and suddenly my mind got flooded with this cold, dark feeling. I didn’t know what it was at first, but it became clear to me after focusing on it. That feeling was him. His mind.” Ahsoka fell quiet.

It was barely visible on Obi-Wan’s face, but Ahsoka could see it, shock. “ _Hm that is troubling. You made a connection with him, indeed. Do you know if it went both ways?_ ”

Ahsoka shook her head. “No. I think it was only me who sensed him. If it were also the other way around, I don’t think I would be here anymore. And if it were a connection made both ways, I don’t even think it would be possible for him to feel me through all that anger and hatred. My own presence could never compare to something so strong. Master, it was so cold and dark in there. I felt like I was freezing and going blind. It- it scared me.” Ahsoka looked down.

“ _I understand. It sounds like a lot of discomfort. But, Ashla, what did you need my advice for?_ ” Obi-Wan asked. He was prying for information. He wanted her to say it all out loud. Ahsoka knew why. It would help with the ability to let it all go. Ahsoka just wasn’t so convinced it worked like that for her.

“The cold, the darkness, it continues to linger. I can still feel it, like it haunts me or something. I’ve tried meditating, either to establish a full connection or sever it completely, but neither worked. I’ve tried every distraction I could think of, yet I can’t shake his lingering dark feelings. What do I do?”

Obi-Wan hummed for a second, obviously in thought. It stayed silent for a few minutes.

“ _Honestly Ashla, I don’t know. I’ve never encountered this before. His mind is strong, it’s highly possible it overwhelmed you. Given that his presence is now dark, instead of light, I would recommend countering it with light things. I know you struggle with dark thoughts since the rise of the Empire and that might be what causes his darkness to linger. You might have left the Order, but you still possess the power of the Light. Focus on it, let it flow through you._ ”

Ahsoka almost scoffed. That was easier said than done, but she did expect it. Obi-Wan _was_ a real Jedi as the code described, unlike her and Anakin. His mind worked that way. Well, at least it was worth a try.

“Thank you, Ben. It was good seeing you, as always.”

Obi-Wan smiled. “ _You too Ashla. Stay safe out there._ ”

Ahsoka smiled back then cut the connection. She huffed. Focus on the light. Wasn’t that exactly what she’d been trying to do?! What else would she focus on? Darkness? Pure banthashit. She’d silently hoped he had a little more for her than just that, but again, should’ve expected it. She let herself sink back into the Force – the Light Side, yes, thank you very much – and let it wash over her.

Ahsoka tried to let it flush out the dark, but it didn’t. Ahsoka let out a frustrated growl. How dare he keep _his_ presence in _her_ mind! Who does he think he is! He-

Ahsoka cut herself off. Thinking about it like that made her realize something. It wasn’t the same darkness she was feeling now. And it wasn’t in her mind either. This wasn’t his presence. This was someone else’s. There was another Darksider on the planet!

The comm flew from its place on the table into Ahsoka’s outstretched hand. She tried the comms of everyone on the team. Nobody answered. Not good. Ahsoka got up and started pacing. Had then run into this stranger, likely an Inquisitor? Had they been captured? Were they hiding? Or had they just been caught up in the chaos outside – that only now became obvious to Ahsoka? So many questions, all of them unanswered.

It was clear what Ahsoka had to do, she didn’t wanna take any chances. She got her lightsabers and rushed out of the shuttle. She could not let anything happen to her team, her _friends_. She wasn’t going to run through the streets, so she used the Force to jump up on the roof.

Jump after jump, roof after roof got Ahsoka closer to where she felt the Inquisitor was, _with her friends_. She reached a plaza and peered over the edge of the roof. And there they were, backed into a wall opposite of her. There were three stormtroopers and, indeed, and Inquisitor. He was speaking to them. Demanding something of them sounds more like it.

“I won’t ask again. I know you are rebels. Your team is not as anonymous to the Empire as you’d probably hoped. I know you have your Jedi friend here somewhere, so comm her! Now! I want her here!”

Man, this one was _really_ demanding. And a male this time, apparently. And of course, he wanted her. Ahsoka debated her options, which was a short process. The only thing she could do was fight. She got up to her full height.

“Hey! Nerfherder! You lookin’ for me?!” Ahsoka raised her voice and she immediately had the attention of everyone on the plaza. And got immediately shot at, too. She activated her lightsabers and deflected the blasts, hitting two of the stormtroopers with her deflection. She prided herself in it. Those were good shots, if she said so herself. She jumped down onto the ground.

“Using ordinary civilians as bait? Why doesn’t that surprise me of an Inquisitor,” Ahsoka snarled.

“Such confident words for someone who is doomed. Lord Vader will be pleased when I bring you to him. Preferably not breathing.”

“Don’t be so confident. Vader will want me alive, believe me.” Again, Ahsoka went for the technique of taunting, causing confusion.

Again, it worked.

“You wouldn’t want to disappoint your master, would you. Oh, the things he will do to you if you disobey him.” Ahsoka tsked.

“He hasn’t said anything special about you. You can’t fool me,” the Inquisitor shot back. He seemed almost defensive. Ahsoka smirked, the darkness that lingered in her mind fueling her actions.

“That’s only because he doesn’t know yet who his subordinates are hunting. I’m not just any Jedi. My name is Ahsoka Tano, and I know exactly who Lord Vader is, and he knows me as well.”

And then Ahsoka saw the slightest hesitation in the Inquisitor. “What’s wrong? Don’t know if you can believe anything I say? It’s a hard decision to make, isn’t it? What if what I’m saying is true? Vader would do so many unspeakable things to you.” Ahsoka took a slight pause and made an obvious display of studying her opponent. “I can feel your fear of him. It’s radiating off you in waves. I would say I pity you, but you chose this faith yourself.” His fear was fueling the darkness in Ahsoka as well. It continued to grow without her knowing.

And then the time was up. Because see, Ahsoka was stalling. She kept the two hostiles occupied while her team got free of this situation and got their hands back on their weapons. Dara and Cornan slowly crept away. Deo and Thea moved on the stormtrooper while Lorey and Jax joined Ahsoka when she charged at the Inquisitor.

They didn’t really have weapons capable of blocking a lightsaber, but it was the thought that counted. Despite her distance, Ahsoka was the first to reach him and she swung her blades up to meet his, which was activated only partly, one blade instead of two. Those stupid dual-bladed monstrosities of lightsabers with their spinning hilts. Ahsoka hated them, for sure.

With Ahsoka in an overhead block, Lorey swiped her sword down towards his leg, the Inquisitor parried Ahsoka and swung his lightsaber down in record time to cut Lorey off. Ahsoka used the Force to send his swing off course and swung for his upper section, which was now exposed. The activation of the second part of his saber was the only thing that stopped her lightsaber from reaching its destination.

Ahsoka cursed, almost. That would’ve been the easiest fight, but she shouldn’t underestimate her opponent. He growled at her. Ahsoka went in for another attack but apparently left herself open to a Force push. She got shoved back to the other end of the plaza.

The Inquisitor focused on her friends now and Ahsoka could just see this going wrong. They could barely get out of the way of his lightsabers. The thought of him doing anything to them angered her. Ahsoka rushed back in as fast as she could. When halfway she pushed her friends back with the Force, out of the Inquisitors reach.

Then Ahsoka jumped up and attacked from above which a lot of force. She slashed her sabers shortly after one another and pushed through his defenses. She got a cut on his shoulder. He didn’t quite cry out, but the little sound that escaped him showed her the fact he was in pain. Ahsoka was confident it must be a deep gash. She landed, rolled, and turned back into one of her stances. She waited him out.

The darkness in her mind controlled her attacks. It was almost as if Anakin made her stronger. Ahsoka reveled in it. The Inquisitor stood tall as he slowly approached her again. Ahsoka gave a quick look around her and saw that the stormtrooper had long since been taken care of. All her friends were now surrounding them, at a respectable distance, that is. Ahsoka focused back on the Inquisitor.

“You are going to die,” he ground out.

Ahsoka just smirked again. “You have a strange way of referring to yourself. It’s not very healthy to do that. I would consider getting help from a mindhealer, perhaps.”

He let out a battle cry and came at her full force. Ahsoka blocked and parried wherever she could. He was obviously stronger than her, but she had the maneuverable advantage. She almost always has.

Ahsoka dropped down underneath one of his swings and made a turn, sticking out her leg. She tripped him and he fell down hard. Force of momentum. Ahsoka got up in one fluid motion, put her foot on his chest and held him down with the Force.

“I guess you expected this to go a lot different. Are you prepared for your end?” Ahsoka asked him tauntingly but gave him no chance to react to her. She plunged one of her sabers in his midsection. He let out a pained gasp but otherwise refrained from giving any sign of pain. She could only see defiance.

Ahsoka crouched down next to him, holding her other saber up to his neck. “I suppose it would only be justice for you. If you’d brought me in dead, Vader would’ve killed you. Now, you’ll meet your end by his former apprentice’s hand,” she said in barely a whisper, only loud enough for him to hear.

His eyes widened, but again Ahsoka didn’t give him any chance to react. She pushed the saber that was held at his neck down, then got up to pull her lightsaber out of his midsection and turned away, only to find the dumbfounded faces of her team. She took a few steps forward, only to see them take a few steps back.

Ahsoka stopped, looking perplexed. “What?” she snapped. Lorey cautiously took a few steps forward. “Ahsoka… what…”

And looking into Lorey’s eyes suddenly cleared up her mind. Every bit of darkness left her in an instance. Lorey looked worried and… scared? Ahsoka looked down at her hands and started trembling. She sheathed her lightsabers and dropped them. Then she turned back to the Inquisitor and promptly vomited. She’d never felt so much darkness inside herself before. Now that it cleared her mind, her body fought violently against it. Yes, it was obvious she’d killed before, but she’d never found a sort of pleasure in it. Ahsoka hated herself.

Lorey was at her side before Ahsoka even knew what had happened. She breathed heavily and slowly backed away with Lorey holding on to her shoulders. “What happened there, Ahsoka? I have never seen you like this.”

Ahsoka shook her head. “I don’t know what’s happening to me. I’m so sorry.” She continued to tremble heavily.

The others approached slowly. Thea spoke up next. “You’ve been acting strange ever since we arrived here. Lorey told us something strange happened to you on the shuttle. What aren’t you telling us Ahsoka?” There was an accusing undertone in there, but Ahsoka decided to ignore it. It was time to come clear. Partly, at least.

“I was talking with Lorey that day. Something dark entered my mind. I- I don’t know what it was. It has stayed and lingered ever since. It must’ve somehow pushed me towards darkness while I was fighting. I don’t know why I did what I did. I would never do that normally. This isn’t me.” The last part was stated forcefully, as if Ahsoka was trying to convince someone, but for the most part she was trying to convince herself.

“And that darkness,” Lorey started, “is it gone now?”

Ahsoka nodded. “It left the moment I saw you just now. I don’t know how. I’m thankful for it, though. I’ve tried to rid myself of it the entire week now. I’ve sought contact with an old friend and even he didn’t know how.”

They all nodded, not really knowing what to say. They were weary of Ahsoka, she could tell. Understandable, if you asked her. Look at what she’d done, the way she went about defeating her opponent. Everything about this screamed: get away I’m a bad guy!

Jax had picked up her lightsabers and held them out to her cautiously. Ahsoka shook her head.

“Keep them, for now. I need to meditate on this and make sure it’s gone. I don’t want to be a danger to anyone.”

Jax nodded and hung them on his own belt.

“We should leave,” Lorey said. They all agreed and made for the shuttle. Lorey kept a comforting hand on Ahsoka’s shoulder, just like Anakin used to do when she felt insecure about something. It was nice.

They reached the shuttle and took off. Ahsoka retreated to her own little space and sat down, cross-legged. She forced the tears to stay where they were and sunk into a deep meditation. It didn’t solve anything, but she didn’t want to be present for anything else right now. She just needed to think. Force, she hated this life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka really went off the rails there, didn’t she?
> 
> Obi-Wan’s reaction makes a lot of sense for him. The reason Ahsoka is so against it, is the fact that she doesn’t think the same was as he does. Anakin really had a big impact on her views regarding the way the Jedi deal with personal problems. So did the 6 years she has now spend away from the Order. 
> 
> The attack Ahsoka did on the Inquisitor which cut his shoulder was inspired by the way Ahsoka cut Vader’s mask in Rebels.


	15. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team goes back 'home' to Alderaan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Wednesday and I'm still not over last week's Clone Wars episode. The fight between Ahsoka and Maul: a highlight in all of Star Wars. And oh, the fact of how scared Maul actually was. That shit hits different, man.

After making sure they weren’t tracked, the group decided to head back to Alderaan. They needed to discuss this with command and Ahsoka needed to check on Leia. Her shielding was somewhat of a priority which could not be checked on over a HoloCall.

Ahsoka was glad to go back there. The secret living space in the palace would make for a safer feeling than any of the other planets ever could.

They were currently nearing the Alderaan System and it had been two days since Ahsoka ‘snapped’. Ever since that she’d been quietly meditating and calming down. The dark presence was completely gone, but she still pondered about how it had invaded her mind and taken over. Had she let it? Had she wanted it at the time? Had she clung to it? All questions she couldn’t answer with certainty.

It was obvious the group was worried about Ahsoka. They wanted her to be okay. Which was logical, they were all friends here. It was obvious some were even a little scared of her now. Dara and Cornan, for example, seemed to keep out of her way a little. They weren’t being all that obvious, but Ahsoka was a good observer. She noticed. It wasn’t a strange reaction, but it still sent a pang of hurt through her every time she noticed it. Ahsoka never wanted to scare anyone away.

Contrary to Dara and Cornan, Lorey stuck to her even more now. The other girl checked up on Ahsoka regularly and engaged in small talk to keep Ahsoka’s mind occupied. Jax and Thea had offered to spar once they were back on solid ground with more room, which Ahsoka gladly took them up on once they would land on Alderaan.

Deo shared some of his stories about the Clone Wars with her, which was also nice. Heartfelt stories of course, no gruesome tales. That would not do her any good. Ahsoka couldn’t be happier with her team. They were the best people she could’ve wished for in this new life. Yet Ahsoka couldn’t hide the longing she still had towards ‘the past’. The times with Anakin and Obi-Wan and Rex and the 501st and-

Ahsoka sighed. She knows she shouldn’t think like that.

* * *

When they dropped out of hyperspace, Ahsoka was all too happy to see the familiar sight of Alderaan through the viewport. This was the closest thing to a home she had, so it was always nice to see it. They were cleared for landing at the private hanger and they set down shortly after.

Lorey and Ahsoka had to report to the higher-ups and honestly, Ahsoka was not looking forward to that. Lorey could see Ahsoka’s hesitation.

“You know, I’m sure with a good reason, like what you always do with the princess for example, you could get out of the briefing.” Lorey smiled at Ahsoka.

Ahsoka looked at her with gratitude. Lorey was giving her an out.

“Thank you Lorey. I’ll ask,” she said with a smile.

“You know where to find me if you need me.” And with that Lorey kept on walking towards the meeting room while Ahsoka turned the other way.

Via her comm she contacted Breha and asked if she could come by already. The queen immediately told her she was welcome right away, which gave Ahsoka a warm feeling. She made her way to the private quarters of the royal family and chimed the door. Breha let her in.

“Ahsoka, it’s good to see you. How have your travels been?” the queen asked.

Ahsoka didn’t want to be rude, but she did _not_ want to talk about it. “Same old, I guess. Had some run-ins with the Imperial forces but other than that we got out okay. It’s good to be here and not on the run, though. That’s for sure.”

Breha smiled but before she could say anything back an excited squeal came from a doorway to their right. There stood the princess of Alderaan, little Leia. She came rushing in and enveloped Ahsoka’s legs in a tight hug.

“Ahsoka! You’re back!” Leia said excitedly before letting go. Ahsoka crouched down so she was eyelevel with the girl but was pushed down on the ground by an even stronger hug.

“I missed you Ahsoka,” Leia said as she squeezed her hugbuddy.

Ahsoka held Leia tight. “I missed you too, little princess. Have you been good for mommy and daddy?”

Leia nodded enthusiastically. “Have you practiced?” Ahsoka then asked, to which she got the same reaction.

Breha smiled at the two. It was obvious they got along great. Ahsoka was made to deal with someone like Leia. It shouldn’t surprise Breha, considering whose daughter Leia really was. Leia told Ahsoka all kinds of stories she’d picked up around the palace and Ahsoka listened intently. Both girls were now seated on the floor. But then Leia got up. “I’m gonna show you what daddy got me from Coruscant last week!” the girl said, before running off to another room.

Ahsoka got back up and turned to Breha. “She’s gotten better in her abilities, a lot. She has a lot of raw talent. I was only gone for a few weeks and she’s progressed like she had a master here who constantly trained her. This is unusual but very wonderful. You should be very proud as her mother,” she stated simply.

Breha smiled at her, again. She didn’t know much about the Force, neither did Bail, but they did their best for their daughter. To hear someone like Ahsoka, a former Jedi, say that Leia was gifted and was doing well was always nice to hear.

Leia then came rushing back in, without anything in her hand. She was pouting.

“Can’t find it. Mommy, I need help searching. Please,” Leia said with the biggest tooka-eyes Ahsoka had ever seen. How could you ever say no to a kid like that? But Breha just smiled. Ahsoka figured she was just used to it by now. She was also glad that she wasn’t the one who had to raise this girl. While Leia was a sweetheart, she was very much like her father. So strong headed and stubborn and above all, Leia was incredibly cute. Ahsoka would’ve just given in to every demand the girl made.

But then Ahsoka’s comm chimed. She took a few steps back while Breha started talking to Leia about where she could’ve left her new present. Ahsoka answered the comm.

It was Lorey. “Ahsoka, I need you to come to the briefing. There’s important information you might want to know firsthand.”

Ahsoka sighed. There went her free afternoon. “I’ll be there in a bit. Thank you for calling,” and cut the transmission off. She turned to Breha.

“I have to get to the meeting. I’m sorry, I’ll be back later.”

“Oh, don’t be sorry Ahsoka. It’s part of the job you have. And I know Bail will be happy to see you as well. Besides, this gives Leia an opportunity to search for this special thing she wanted to show you, right Leia?”

Leia nodded. “Well see you later, now go. We don’t want to keep you.”

Ahsoka smiled and with that she left the room, on her way to the briefing room.

* * *

The walk there was short and when she entered her code, she noticed they’d been expecting her, obviously. Ahsoka moved to take her seat next to Lorey. The meeting resumed with Ahsoka silently asked Lorey what she’d missed. The other girl explained in a short summary and it came down upon the fact that she hadn’t missed anything important, but the next thing they would discuss would be important.

“A recent run-in with another rebel cell by one of our agents has brought something to our attention,” one of the commanders started. Ahsoka listened intently. “Onderon has had a group of rebels for years now-“

Ahsoka didn’t hear the sentence he said after that. Onderon? Rebels? Could that be Saw? “According to our observation, these rebels have been getting more dangerous over the years. Their actions grow bolder and more and more people are falling victim to their reckless actions. Never in our right mind can we continue to let this happen to civilians who fall victim. I want to send a team there to help them-” the commander couldn’t even finish his sentence. Ahsoka had gotten up and now had all the attention.

“Don’t look any further commander. We’ll go,” Ahsoka said. Lorey looked at her curiously. They’d just gotten back after weeks of roaming the galaxy, and here Ahsoka was ready to jump into the next mission? While it was her who wanted to be here for a while.

“If I may ask Ahsoka, why do you volunteer for this mission?” It was Bail who spoke up.

“Back in the Clone Wars I was responsible for training this group of rebels to overthrow their corrupt separatist government. I know them. I believe it would be only natural to send someone who’s familiar enough with them. It would certainly help in not making them our enemy,” Ahsoka said.

There were hums of confirmation all across the room. What Ahsoka had said had made sense of course. Not long after that it was decided. Ahsoka’s team would go to Onderon to meet with Saw Gerrera. Lorey was immediately with Ahsoka as soon as they walked out the room. She pulled her away from the main hallway.

“Are you serious Ahsoka? We just got here. After everything, we deserve a break.” Lorey almost sounded pissed.

“I get that, and I want a break so bad, but I know Saw. I know just sending someone will send the wrong message. I don’t know what he would do to anyone else. He hasn’t been the same since his sister died. If he sees you as hostile, he’ll likely kill you. We can’t afford to lose someone to such a petty cause. He’ll most likely react best to me.”

Lorey huffed but didn’t say anything to that. “I’ll inform the team. But we’re not leaving today. Tomorrow at the earliest. I need a good night of sleep.”

At that Ahsoka nodded. She couldn’t help but agree. Sleep was important. Especially after what she’d been through the last week. She was sure she could sleep a whole day if the chance presented itself. Alas, that wasn’t the case. When Lorey walked off Ahsoka made her way back to the main hall. Then she noticed Bail still standing there.

“Ah Ahsoka. I was waiting for you.” Ahsoka approached him wearily. What was so important he had to wait for her? “I noticed you seem on edge. There is no ulterior motive then just making sure you are doing well.”

That made Ahsoka smile in appreciation. These people really cared for her. Bail started walking back towards the personal quarters of the palace and Ahsoka followed.

“To be completely honest with you Sir, I haven’t been well. These were a tough few weeks. It must’ve already been brought to your attention through our short reports from the last weeks, but I’ve encountered two Inquisitors. We’ll have no trouble from either of them ever again, just so you know, but that has been troubling me.”

Bail nodded along but he didn’t seem convinced by Ahsoka’s explanation for her weariness. “I can understand that would be trying. You handled the situation well. Yet this doesn’t seem to be the only thing troubling you.”

Ahsoka sighed. She was convinced Bail could read minds or something. And he wasn’t even Force sensitive. “Sir, what do you know about bonds between a Jedi Master and his Padawan?” she asked.

Bail looked at her quizzically. He had a suspicion which direction this was going to take but had no idea _what_ she was going to tell him next. “Probably not enough for me to understand what you’re going to tell me right now.”

“In a Jedi’s life, it is normal to form a training bond between master and apprentice. This means you can find each other in the Force, check up on them, _feel_ their presence. Anakin and I had such a bond. It never broke, even after I left the Order. I was convinced he was dead when the purge hit because I couldn’t feel him anymore. Every attempt to reach out was met with emptiness. When I learned what had happened to him, I thought it _had_ broken. Turns out I was wrong.”

That revelation stopped Bail dead in his tracks. “You _connected_ with him?” he asked her, voice dropping low.

Ahsoka nodded. “I didn’t really mean to. I was just reminiscing the past with Lorey. I must’ve sunken deep enough in the Force during my story to pull on the bond hard enough. It was a painful experience.”

Bail stayed silent in a gesture for her to continue.

Ahsoka did just that. “It was all so dark, and it felt cold. First just some cold feeling in my mind, I don’t know how to describe that. But the more it invaded my mind, the colder I actually got. I’m pretty sure I was shivering afterwards. I know it was him, the Force told me as such. I don’t know if he felt me too. I have a suspicion he couldn’t, either because his own presence was too strong, or I unconsciously kept mine at bay. If he had felt me, I’m sure I wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

It stayed silent between Ahsoka and Bail after that. At some point they started walking again. Ahsoka was looking down the whole time. She debated about whether to tell him about what it had done to her. It was Bail who brought her out of her thoughts by speaking up again.

“It sounds like it took a lot out of you. I’m sorry you had to go through that, but that only brings up the question whether you should go to Onderon even more. Are you sure you’re ready for another mission like this?”

Ahsoka nodded. “I think it would be good for me. I need the distraction. But don’t worry. I won’t leave Leia without a new lesson. I did promise I’d teach her after all,” she said with a smile.

This brought a smile to Bail’s face as well. “Alright then Ahsoka. I’ll take your word for it. Although, I must ask you something. Do keep me updated on this development of your bond. It would do nobody any good if it led some bad people here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little bit of a filler chapter, but the transition was needed. 
> 
> Ahsoka will have quite a heavy confrontation waiting for her in the next few chapters, that I can tell you.


	16. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka and her team arrive on Onderon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a late celebration of May The 4th Be With You. I can say that The Clone Wars finale ruined me. I watched it at 00:30 in the morning. Couldn't sleep for the rest of the night. I just kept crying. I'm still not over it. Damn what a beautiful way to end the series. I'm fortunate to have been there for the end. 
> 
> Now, something about the story: with the finale now out there, I'm doubting about something. Whether to change the start of this story to follow canon, or put a disclaimer that it does not follow s7 from the moment Maul and Ahsoka start to fight (because I will take everything before that into my story. It fits)

The next morning Ahsoka was feeling much better. The night had done her good. She had a dreamless sleep, which were the better ones for sure. Being with Leia had really helped. The girl just had something calming. She was just so innocent and happy within the Force. Her presence always felt playful, happy, _peaceful_. It was refreshing.

Ahsoka was ready to go and arrived at the shuttle around the same time as she others. She noticed Bail was there. That meant Breha had told him, at least. She smiled at him, and only then did she notice the presence that accompanied him. Leia was here too. Ahsoka approached them.

Leia hugged her once she got close enough. “I don’t want you to leave Ahsoka. You have to stay. I need help with flying things,” the girl pleaded. Ahsoka gave her a sad smile.

“I’m sorry princess. I have to leave again. But I’ll be back before you know it and then I will teach you even more. Until then, keep practicing. And remember, don’t tell anyone about this Leia. It’s an important secret,” Ahsoka said the last part in a hushed tone.

Leia nodded eagerly. Ahsoka would be back, she would teach her something new, and she got to keep an important secret! The little girl felt so important.

Ahsoka then turned to Bail. “Goodluck Ahsoka. Be careful. I don’t know how to explain it to this one if something happened.” It was said as a joke, but Ahsoka understood the meaning behind it.

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. I know why Saw’s doing this and I’ll do my best to do something about it,” Ahsoka said with a confident smile.

“Then I won’t keep you any longer. We’ll see each other when you return.”

Ahsoka gave a nod and made for the shuttle. Her team was already waiting for her.

“Alright, let’s go. We’re in serious need of a break, so the faster we get this done, the better,” Ahsoka stated. The others all let out words of agreement. They sped through the start-up sequence and lifted the shuttle off the ground. Then they flew away, off to Onderon.

* * *

It wasn’t a very long flight and most of them took the opportunity to rest a little bit more this morning, so it was a quiet and peaceful flight. Up until the moment they dropped out of hyperspace. Ahsoka assumed the controls and veered them into the atmosphere.

“Alright, so, obviously you know this planet and these people better than we do. With that I’m assuming you have a plan. Care to share?” Jax asked Ahsoka.

“Why, Jax, you should know better by now than to doubt me,” Ahsoka said with a smirk. “I do indeed have a plan. You’ll see.”

And with that Ahsoka steered the shuttle planetside.

* * *

“Don’t tell me your plan is to just land in the middle of some base?” Jax groaned out when Ahsoka was about to set down.

“Despite what you think, it has a purpose,” Ahsoka stated as she softly touched down. “This base belonged to Gerrera and his Rebels back in the Clone Wars. Even if it’s abandoned now, they would still have surveillance around so that nobody will just drop in unannounced. If we’ll wait here, they will show up in no-time. Figured it would be a lot easier than going out to look for people who don’t want to be found.” And with that she gave Jax a pointed look.

Jax didn’t say anything back. Ahsoka had a point. It would be easier if it worked. So, they waited. Ahsoka looked out the viewport, focused on the bushes surrounding the open space. It took a little while, but she finally saw movement within the tree-line.

“There they are,” Ahsoka said softly. “We wait a little longer. They’ll come out and reveal themselves as long as we stay put. Right now, they’re inspecting from a distance. I want to draw Saw out,” she said to the team. They all nodded.

It didn’t take long after that before he made himself known.

“Come out of the shuttle with your hands up and no one will get hurt. Refuse, and we’re going to have to resort to more drastic measures,” the voice of Saw Gerrera rang out.

Ahsoka smiled. “That’s our que.” And with that statement she opened up the ramp and started to walk out.

“Saw Gerrera. Long time no see. It appears you’ve been busy,” Ahsoka said, as she strode down the ramp with confidence.

Saw studied her for a second. “Ahsoka Tano. This is quite a surprise. Why are you here?” he asked. “And how are you still alive?” he asked shortly after that.

Ahsoka let out a chuckle. “I’m here for you. We’re both against the Empire, or so I’ve heard. For how I survived. I got lucky.”

Saw looked at her skeptically. “You’re against the Empire?” he asked.

“Why of course. It wouldn’t make much sense for me to join the people who tried to kill me. They destroyed everything I cared about. I figured I’d return the favor. I imagine you know how that feels.”

It stayed quiet for a little while. Everyone on both sides stared at the two leaders. Then Saw stepped forward and held out his arm. Ahsoka took the remaining few steps and shook it. The rest of Ahsoka’s team sighed in relieve, though they would deny it if you ever said anything about it. This operation was a lot easier if they got along.

“Welcome back to Onderon. A lot has happened since you were last here. So, what brings you here now?” Saw asked.

“I’d love to tell you all about it, but first I would like to introduce my new team. From left to right we have Lorey, Jax, Cornan, Dara, Thea and Deo. We’ve been helping civilians in need all over the Galaxy,” Ahsoka said.

Saw inclined his head in greeting. Then he asked her “What about your two Jedi friends from last time?”

Ahsoka looked down. “As you can imagine, with the purge and all, they’re gone. I don’t know how or when, but I wouldn’t know where they are, if they were alive at all.” It was a lie, of course. She knew exactly where they both were. Well, not an exact location in Vader’s case, but still.

Saw nodded. “Unfortunate to hear that. I’m sorry for your loss.”

Ahsoka smiled gratefully. It was the sentiment that counted.

“Now let’s not keep you all out here in the open. We’ll take you to our new base. We can talk there,” Saw said, harder now so everyone could hear. “Your shuttle can stay here. It won’t really be noticed as odd staying in this place. Let’s go.”

And with that said, the whole opposing group began to move. Ahsoka motioned for her friends to come with. They locked down the ship and started walking. At first Ahsoka walked with her friends.

Lorey turned to her. “So, all pleasantries aside, how are we going to play this? Do we just… say that we don’t agree with what he does?”

Ahsoka shook her head. “Let me deal with that. We’ll figure it out. The main goal is _not_ to let this escalate in a fight or rivalry. We’re all against the Empire here. You just observe as much as you can of this place. If we somehow need to get out of here quick, it’s better to know where to go. We’ll figure this entire situation out.”

And with that Ahsoka stepped forward, away from her friends, and fell into step beside Saw. He stopped his conversation with one of his men and turned to her.

“So, how have the last years been treating you? What have you and your rag tag band of rebels been up to?” Ahsoka asked.

Saw sighed. “All was well at first when you left, you know. Yes, it was hard of course with having lost Steela, but we were at peace again. The Republic presence was known for a bit, but not terribly so. And then came the announcement of the Chancellor.”

Ahsoka nodded. “I know. I was here, on the planet when I saw it too. It was quite a shock.”

“Yes, indeed. It didn’t take long after that before we were invaded. Not necessarily military, but suddenly a dome was being landed in the capital and the presence of stormtroopers increased. Taxes went up and curfews were implanted. So, we got back together to fight it. We’ve been doing that ever since.”

“So I’ve heard. Your attacks on the Empire have reached even us, and we weren’t even close by. You have a reputation, you know. They think you’re ruthless.”

“Yes, well. The Empire doesn’t care about casualties either. Why should we?”

Ahsoka sighed. “Steela would’ve cared,” she said carefully.

Saw stopped dead in his tracks. The others didn’t pay him much mind and kept walking.

“I would be careful with what you say. Steela is gone. Neither of us could save her. I do things differently. Are we going to have a problem with that?” Saw said with a stone-cold face.

Ahsoka stared right back. “Depends. But let’s talk about that later. I wouldn’t want to spoil the mood.” And with that she turned to continue walking, confidence in her step.

Saw continued walking as well. Both of them stayed completely silent for the duration of the track.

Lorey watched from the back and couldn’t help but doubt how this would be going. She had a bad feeling about this. Ahsoka said she knew these people and what she was doing. Lorey didn’t doubt that, just the fact that she was rushing through this. Ahsoka was used to making enemies, that much was already obvious. Lorey could only hope she wouldn’t make an enemy out of Saw Gerrera.

* * *

Once they reached the new base, some rebel immediately came up to Saw.

“Saw, we have some information on the new plan of attack you might-“ the man was not allowed to finish. He was being cut off by Saw.

“Not now,” Saw said dangerously low as he motioned with his head towards Ahsoka and her team. He must not know that Togruta montrals were more sensitive than human ears, because Ahsoka heard it. She knew this attack was going to be something they were against.

“Welcome to our base. Please, come with me so we can talk,” he said. His tone was anything but friendly. It was obvious words were going to be exchanged. The group followed him dutifully.

Once settled in what appeared to be a made-up meeting/strategy room they started talking.

“I get the feeling you aren’t here to support any of us here or for the pleasantries. So why don’t we skip over all of that now and get right to the point,” Saw said. His voice was laced with an impatient tone.

“I’ll give it to you straight, then. We indeed aren’t here to make friends. I told you we help civilians all around the Galaxy who have been victimized by the Empire. Lately, more and more whispers came from Onderon that civilians were being targeted in attacks, but not just by the Empire. You can imagine we were not pleased to hear that. What you’re doing here, Saw, goes against everything I’ve pledged myself to save.”

Ahsoka leaned forward against the table in waiting of what Saw would say to her statement. The rest of the team looked from one to the other. Only one thing had been said by either of them and the tension was already through the roof. Ahsoka was not backing down and it looked like Saw wouldn’t either.

“That is quite a statement, Ahsoka. What I take away from this is that you’re here to oppose me? What will you do? Take me in to face justice? In case you hadn’t noticed, there is no justice anymore! You can’t take me back to your Jedi friends to change my mind because they’re gone. Everything collapsed and we have to make do with what we have,” Saw said menacingly.

“Does that mean we have to harm innocent people? Those civilians out there did nothing to deserve the way you pick them off. I read the file of the recent attack on one of the control posts around the city. Yes, you hit they supplies and several stormtroopers. But do you know how many civilians lost their lives? 5. 5 families will now miss someone. You of all people should know how hard that is to deal with. Now you’re the one causing it.”

Saw huffed. “What would you have me do, huh? Go around saving people after the Empire has attacked, like you? That isn’t helping anyone either. I’m making a difference. I wouldn’t be able to say the same about you.”

“I’ve fought in a war, Saw. I know how they work. This will not win you any favors with the people, even if you managed to win a victory against the Empire. They wouldn’t want it. Let me help you do it differently. Just like the Jedi helped you back then,” Ahsoka said, eyes hard.

“What will you and your Jedi ideals do? Talk about peace?” Saw shot back.

“I’m no longer a Jedi. I left the Order long ago, even before it was destroyed. I do things my way. And this isn’t it. At least let us try. Most of us can, in fact, fight. Share with us your new plan, which I know you have, and we’ll see if we can do it together. In a family friendly way. Does that sound fair?”

With that statement Ahsoka held out her arm. She knew it was a bold statement to make. She just hoped he would take it.

Lorey was doubtful. This situation did not look good. But then the unexpected happened. Saw started to laugh.

“You’re bold and straight to the point, still. I knew I liked to have you around. I’ll try it.” And with that he took her arm. They were in agreement.

To say the rest of the team was surprised at the sudden turn of events was an understatement.

* * *

Not long after that and the meeting room was filled with other people. Chatter rang out all across the room. Ahsoka and her team were also silently conversing in a corner. But then Saw called for attention.

“Alright everyone. Let’s talk business. We have an attack to plan. For those of you who don’t know, this is Ahsoka Tano and her Rebel team. Ahsoka was once a Jedi and helped us take back Onderon from the Separatists. We can trust them. Now, before we continue in our planning, I need to catch them up to speed first. It wouldn’t be a bad thing for all of you to listen. It might refresh your memory.

The Empire has installed a new factory several months ago. Its main production line is military equipment. What, precisely, is unknown. But that doesn’t really matter. Anything military is a bad thing. Our plan is to blow it up. We’ve acquired the necessary bombs needed for the process and have memorized the guard rotation system. We were planning on taking it down in the next few days.”

Ahsoka took all of the info in. She turned to look at her teammates. They all exchanged looks. Lorey was the one to speak up.

“What about the workers?” Lorey asked. “What is your plan for them?”

“We have thought about them and picked out the time that the least amount of people will be present,” another person spoke up.

“How many is the least amount?” Ahsoka asked.

“50 people,” Saw said.

Ahsoka sighed. “That’s too many, Saw. We can’t agree to that. You’ll be breaking up 50 families. I won’t let you. There must be another way. Let us think this over, please.”

The it was the other group’s turn to exchange looks now but Saw cut the doubt off.

“Very well. You have time to come up with something better if you can. You can cut in anytime if you want. We’ll continue with our preparations in the meantime if you don’t mind.”

Ahsoka nodded. The team moved to the back of the room.

“50 workers are 50 too many, we can all agree to that. We must find a better way to do this,” Lorey said.

“Well, we don’t know the schedule these people have. We have no idea when the best moment would be,” Jax interjected.

“We can’t just do nothing. We’re here to help people, not be complicit to blowing them up,” Thea hissed.

And they bickered on like that for a little longer. But Cornan stayed quiet. He was thinking of a plan.

“I might have something,” he eventually said.

All the others fell silent, a sign for him to continue.

“What if we issue a warning to everyone inside the factory. The personnel would evacuate. Any Imperial who wants to stay is welcome, of course. That way we won’t have innocent casualties. A blow to the factory alone would be enough to be a major setback for the Empire here on Onderon.”

After he finished explaining, it stayed silent for a bit. Again, they all exchanged looks. “Cornan, that is the best idea for this situation. Thank you. Let’s inform our oh-so-friendly host,” Lorey said.

They all turned back to the central meeting.

“Saw, we have an idea. If you’re willing to hear us out, of course,” Ahsoka said. It was a challenge. One he would now back down from.

“By all means, share your plan,” he said and motioned around the room.

Lorey nudged Cornan forward. “What if we warn the factory beforehand. If there’s no one inside, we can’t hit innocent targets…” he trailed off. He wasn’t the best at public speaking.

“Then what is the point?” someone in the room asked.

“The point would be the factory. Blowing that up would hit them hard enough for your goal to be achieved. Whether Imperials are inside or not,” Lorey stated.

Everyone in the room looked at each other and thought about it.

“How do you propose we do that?” Saw then asked.

Ahsoka smirked with determination. “Don’t worry. We can figure that out together. I’m sure we can come up with a great message to give the people and the Empire.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something else was supposed to happen in this chapter, but I started typing and this just became a monster of 7000 words so I split it. See this as an introduction to this new phase in the story that is coming. Because that's really what this is starting. A new phase.


	17. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A failed attack and a confrontation Ahsoka is not looking forward to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter at 2 am when I was in an unforgiving mood. Case in point, I decided to inflict pain.

The entirety of Saw’s rebel group had been preparing for days. Cornan’s plan had been implemented in the overall idea.

Everything was being put into place, for today was the day of the attack on the factory. Scouts had been sent to the factory to make sure everything was ready for them there. They had to go and place the explosives soon.

There was a lot of fuss going on at the base. Ahsoka stood by on the sidelines, watching. She was not aiding in the preparations. It held no value to her. That, and the fact that the Force felt uneasy, were key in her decision to keep at the sidelines. She would help with the aftermath, but not with the attack itself. It was against her role and nature within this Imperial Era to do so. She wanted to help people. Right now, this wasn’t her way to do it.

Ahsoka felt like she had to be on guard. She trusted the Force and that it told her to be cautious. She hadn’t told anyone about this feeling yet, but she would seek Lorey out soon.

Saw was definitely out of the question in regard to voicing her doubts. Ahsoka just knew he would not accept her explanation. But she wasn’t running away either. They were going through with this. She just had to be ready for when something did go wrong.

Besides, she was still needed. Having been a Jedi in the Clone Wars and all, she knew a lot about strategy and that was needed to make this go over as smooth as possible.

Deep in thought, Ahsoka didn’t notice Lorey approach her.

“You seem distracted,” the other girl spoke up, snapping Ahsoka out of her trance. She turned to Lorey.

“Just thinking,” she replied.

Lorey looked at her skeptically. Ahsoka sighed softly, not because she was annoyed but because she had so much on her mind.

“The Force feels uneasy. And I know that doesn’t mean much to you but let me explain it real quick; I feel like something’s about to happen. And I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but it for sure is something. I’m going to figure out what it is, but I don’t know how yet.”

Lorey nodded. “Well, I trust you to know what to do and inform us, of course,” she said with a smile.

Ahsoka gave a reassuring nod and a smile as well.

“I better go meditate now. Maybe it’ll give me some clarity. Call me when the final briefing starts, please?” Ahsoka said. And with that she walked away to find a quiet place in all the fuss. It was quite a feat, but she managed in the end. She sat down and let herself sink into the Force, looking for answers.

And man, did she get a lot of information, but not a concrete answer to her current problem. She felt and saw so many things. All had to do with a memory, or maybe even the future. You could call it a vision, but that was not what Ahsoka would call this dump of information.

There was nothing she could pull from this. but what _was_ obvious was the subject it all surrounded. The Force sang with insinuation towards Anakin. But why? Ahsoka couldn’t put her fingers on it. Did he do something? Was he involved in something that had to do with her? _Was he taking over her mind again?_

So many questions; no answer. The suspension was killing her, but Ahsoka did not let go of her meditation until she was pulled from it by Lorey. The girl stood over her.

“Everything’s in place. They’re all coming together now. Let’s go.”

Ahsoka got up and silently followed Lorey. The other girl looked at her expectantly. Ahsoka wished she could answer that questioning look, but there was nothing she could say. She simply shook her head, signaling that she still had no answers.

They continued walking and entered the briefing room. They were the last people to join. Ahsoka took her place along the HoloTable, where a holo of the factory was on display. How they got it, Ahsoka wouldn’t know, but she didn’t really care either.

Saw started talking. “We’ve finished all the preparations for today. Everything is set. I want to thank our new friends in their aid. And now we’re going to see how successful we’ll be.”

Saw pressed a button on the HoloTable and the image of the factory zoomed in.

“I have appointed several people to place the necessary explosives where needed. This will happen during the warning message when everyone is distracted. The rest who volunteered to join in on this mission will be near factory grounds to stand guard and help out where needed. Everyone has been briefed individually on what they need to do. Are there any more questions at this point?”

Everybody shook their head. This operation had been so thoughtfully planned out; they all knew what they had to do. Ahsoka watched from her spot, feeling melancholic. She thought back to the Clone Wars, when they were discussing strategies. Whether it was with the Jedi masters in the war room, or with the Clones on the Resolute. It felt just like this, and it hurt to think about it. Ahsoka turned away to clear the images of the past from her head.

“Alright, now that we’re all in agreement. Let’s move out.”

And with that everyone started leaving. It was time to take down a factory.

* * *

Ahsoka walked around the city in her robe, which she’d pulled around herself tightly. She was surveilling the area and waiting for Saw’s message to come through. She was near the factory and was watching it closely. The Force was flaring around her right now, telling her that the thing she thought was going to happen, would happen soon.

Ahsoka pushed the thought away. It was probably just the attack. Nothing important. But she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling the Force gave her. She continued to look at the factory.

Several yards away, Ahsoka spotted more of the rebel group. They were all here. She knew the message could come in any second now. It would also be shown just outside the factory, for the troopers there. Comms had been placed by people everywhere outside and smuggled inside, so everyone in- and outside of the factory could see the message.

A blue holo flickered on then, and Ahsoka fixed her gaze on it. This was it. She divided her attention between the entrance/exit and the holo.

“Workers from this factory,” Saw’s voice sounded, “my name is Saw Gerrera. I’m here to tell you that this factory is going down in the name of freedom. Explosives are at the ready. We appreciate your sacrifice.” And the holo stopped.

This was not what she’d expected the message to say. Her eyes widened at that last statement. Sacrifice? He couldn’t-

A loud bang sounded and Ahsoka jumped up. The entire backside of the factory exploded. It instantly started toppling down. Ahsoka watched in horror as she felt screams through the Force. It couldn’t be. He couldn’t have done this.

Ahsoka was filled with rage and pain. She rushed forward to go save the lifeforces she still felt that were now trapped inside, but her arm got grabbed before she could reach the building. She spun around wildly, ready to just punch the person stopping her from trying to save innocent people. But when her eyes met Lorey’s she stopped.

“It’s no use Ahsoka. We’ll be too late. You would sacrifice your life and you wouldn’t be able to succeed in saving anyone. It would be in vain,” Lorey said remorseful.

Ahsoka wanted to voice her protests. She’d been a Jedi; she could do it! But with every second the factory broke apart more and more. All entrances were now cut off by ruble and/or fire. Lifeforces continued to be snuffed out and it felt like a headache to Ahsoka.

They both stared up at the factory as it collapsed in on itself completely. Lorey’s hold on Ahsoka’s arm moving towards her hand. They both squeezed the other. Ahsoka dove in the Force to feel how many were left in there. Very faint presences filled her mind, but it was obvious they were lost.

Ahsoka let Lorey go, turned on her heels and walked away towards the rendezvous point – which was away from the factory so they wouldn’t get caught by the reinforcement that were certainly already on their way.

Once Ahsoka reached the site, she started to pace, knowing Saw would show up here soon. She would be waiting for him. There were things she had to say to Saw. And possibly some bones to break. Others who’d gotten there as well were staring at her raging form, unsure of what to make of the furious Force-user but Ahsoka couldn’t care less.

* * *

Saw arrived not long after. And before he’d even gotten off his transport Ahsoka was in his face, holding her lightsaber dangerously close to his neck.

“We had a deal,” she started dangerously, making it obvious she was a serious threat right now. Blasters were immediately pointed at her, but Ahsoka didn’t care. Saw just stared at her, impassively.

“You agreed to give them a chance. And you killed them all. Did it bring you joy, huh? Are you happy now?” Ahsoka snarled.

“It was necessary. We couldn’t give them a chance to locate the explosives. I would say I’m sorry, but I’m not. This is the way we do things here on Onderon. If you don’t agree, then leave,” Saw said with an equal amount of venom in his voice.

Ahsoka didn’t back down. “You’re playing a dangerous game here Saw. Sooner or later you’re going to have to pay for it.”

And with that Ahsoka pushed him back, using the Force to strengthen the blow, and started walking away. Back to her transport to take them back to the base. They were leaving. She would not spend a minute longer with any of these people on this planet. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Saw stumble from her forceful push.

* * *

With the ongoing tension between the two rebel groups, nobody noticed the lonely trooper – who’d apparently stumbled upon their little rendezvous – make a call to headquarters on the planet for reinforcements coming from off-world. The rebels had hit again, hard this time. Something really had to be done about them.

The Empire needed to send in the big guns to deal with these guerilla fighters.

* * *

Ahsoka and the others from her team had made it back to base, where Ahsoka had started gathering their stuff angrily. Nobody dared to get in her way. Until Saw showed up later on.

He stepped up in front of her, blocking her path. “As much as you want to go now, Ahsoka, I can’t let you leave. Not now that I know you will block our operations here. So you leave us alone from now on, and we’ll let you leave in peace.”

Ahsoka couldn’t believe what she was hearing. The nerve of some people!

“You think you can make demands to me? I could cut you in half in less than a second, same with all the others here and I wouldn’t bat an eye about it,” she snarled.

He smirked at her, and _oh_ did that just do the trick in making her go from angry to furious.

“That’s not a very Jedi-like thought, is it? Besides, I think the Empire would pick up on your murder spree rather quickly. I don’t think you would want that,” Saw snapped back with ease.

“I’ve taken on two Inquisitors by now. Neither live to tell the tale. I fought off a battalion of clone troopers to escape the purge. I think I’ll manage. But don’t worry. I don’t want to stay a minute longer on your planet with your people. Have your operations your way. But don’t come looking when the _people_ turn against you. Not the Empire, but the people you swore to protect here,” Ahsoka said with determination.

Saw was about to say something back when an alarm sounded. Someone rushed to the scanners to check what it was.

At the same time the Force started screaming all around Ahsoka. A darkness filled her mind, but that wasn’t new. She was angry right now, of course she felt darkness. Darkness was everywhere since the rise of the Empire.

“Saw, I think we have a problem,” the person at the scanners spoke up. Saw made his way to join him in front of the scanners. “We have a Star Destroyer in orbit. It just dropped out of hyperspace. It’s sending ships out as we speak. And I don’t think they’re here for a celebration.”

Everyone in the room fell silent with worry. A Star Destroyer. Imperial reinforcements. They’d come for the rebels.

But Ahsoka wasn’t thinking about that right now because the darkness kept growing. She felt rage, pain, _cold_. She tried to push it away. There was no way she could give in to the darkness right now. But it didn’t budge. In fact, she had no control over it. It just kept on pushing, taking up every bit of space in her mind.

And then it dawned on Ahsoka.

_This darkness wasn’t her._

An Imperial Star Destroyer dropping out of hyperspace at the same time the Force flared up. The familiar feeling. The description Obi-Wan had given her when they’d met all those months ago on Tatooine.

_It’s him._

“He’s here,” Ahsoka spoke up through the silence. Everyone turned to stare at her with questioning looks.

“Who?” Saw asked.

She stared at all of them with somber expressions. They weren’t going to win this.

“Darth Vader. I can feel him. He’s on his way to the surface as we speak.”

That had everyone just gaping at her. Some gasps were heard. Because everyone had heard whispers of Darth Vader. That’s all they really were, whispers. Because the people who actually encountered him didn’t live long enough to tell the tale.

Saw immediately jumped into action. He shouted out commands to everyone. People started locking down the base. Then Saw turned back to her.

“Whatever just happened, we all need each other’s help right now. I need you to come with me back to the city. We need to get everyone who’s still there out and ready to fight.”

Ahsoka couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was he preparing to fight?

_Was he crazy?!_

“Saw... you _can’t_ win this fight. I promise you. You have to flee, hide until he’s gone,” Ahsoka pleaded. Despite what just transpired, she couldn’t watch these people die at Vader’s hand.

“We have to do something! I won’t just let them die like that! I have to protect these people!” Saw almost shouted. He was clearly overwhelmed.

Ahsoka wanted to make a comment about how he should think about the regular civilians like that as well but decided against it. Not the appropriate situation for that right now.

“Then comm them. Have them meet us at the southern border of the city. We’ll meet them there with two shuttles. Yours and ours. We let them get away first. If we’re too late I might be able to hold _him_ off. It’s the only way to maybe get out of this alive,” Ahsoka said. Every word was spoken with authority.

“What is your plan, then? If he’s so powerful, how will you last against him?” Saw asked.

“I can’t explain it to you. Just trust me, I want to live as well. I do have to ask, though-” Ahsoka said the last part while turning to Lorey- “I need you to fly our shuttle. Please. I need a getaway as well. I know it’s risky, but I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”

Lorey nodded immediately. The rest of the team was quick to join in. “We’ll join you Ahsoka. We won’t leave you alone with a monster,” Jax said.

Ahsoka just nodded. No time to argue for their safety. But then Saw chimed in.

“I’m joining you. I want to make sure my people are safe before I leave.”

Ahsoka gave him a nod as well. At least there was some ounce of humanity left in him.

“We better get going then. We have no time to lose.”

* * *

Saw commed the remaining rebels in the city to rendezvous at the south border of the city right away.

It took them way too long to get there, for Ahsoka’s liking. They were on the clock here. She did have a plan for Vader, but if they could get away without her encountering him, she’d choose that option.

They eventually landed and lead everyone in the shuttle. But so many of them had questions that they had no time answering. It was a completely chaotic situation, and Ahsoka grew more anxious with the minute.

She felt him approaching. They were headed their way. The Empire must be aware of their location.

“Enough questions,” Ahsoka ordered, “the Empire is approaching. You have to leave now and get to a safe place if you want to live. Take off now!” she shouted the last part. Gunships and TIEs had entered their line of vision. They were out of time. _He_ was with them.

The pilot scrambled to get the shuttle in the air. The Imperial fighters still too far out to get a clean shot in. Stormtroopers were exiting the gunships and advancing.

Ahsoka had taken the liberty of covering herself completely in a large cloak back on the shuttle ride here, so she was unrecognizable. This way she could use the Force briefly to push those stormtroopers back and let them fall on the ground. They were aware of a Jedi anyway. Just not her name.

Ahsoka turned to the remaining people. Her friends and Saw.

“Get on the shuttle. Start it up and lift it in the air. The moment I’ll jump back up and land on the ramp you take off, got it?” Ahsoka said. A new TIE landed. She knew he was in there. This was it.

Lorey nodded and they all rushed into the ship. Ahsoka pulled her hood further over her head and took her stance, tall and stoic.

And there he stood, right across from her.

Darth Vader.

_Anakin Skywalker._

**_Her former master, best friend, brother._ **

And Ahsoka’s breath caught in her throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10 days without the Clone Wars. I am not okay. That's all. Until next week.


	18. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka has to face Vader for the first time in her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 16 days without The Clone Wars. I'm still not okay. Enjoy your day.

Ahsoka couldn’t breathe. His presence was overwhelming, even given the fact that she’d closed herself off from the Force entirely. He couldn’t feel her presence. She couldn’t reveal her identity to him. Not yet.

Force, he looked so imposing. That armor, the helmet and faceplate. The sound his respirator made, that reached her montrals easily. He truly looked like a monster. She couldn’t help but silently cry inside for what he’d become. Yes, of course she’d known for almost a year now, but to see it right in front of her… Nothing made it more real like that.

“And so the Jedi reveals herself,” Vader said, and did his voice just sound so _scary_ through that voice modulator.

Ahsoka almost shivered. His coldness crept all over her. She stayed silent but took a step forward. She needed him to be closer for her plan to work. It would take a lot of energy, so the shorter the distance, the less energy she put in.

Ahsoka raised her arms as a sign of surrender. She hung her head in defeat, to sell the point even more.

Without saying anything else, Vader stalked forward and drew his lightsaber, igniting it. Making Ahsoka realize just what he was about to do.

_He was going to kill her!_

Ahsoka should’ve expected it, to be honest, but to see him react like that so fast was a shock. She let her hold on the Force go and scrambled for their bond before he was within reach. Him killing her would kind of disrupt her whole plan and purpose here.

Vader’s shields were snapping in place the moment Ahsoka tried to connect, but she was faster. With all her might, she pushed memories into this mind. It had the effect she’d hoped for. He faltered.

Voices rushed through her head, as she knew it also did through his.

_“-I’m assigned to Anakin Skywalker, and he is to supervise my Jedi training-“_

_“-You’re reckless little one. You never would’ve made is as Obi-Wan’s padawan. But you might make it as mine-“_

_“-Take heart little one. That’s the reality of command-“_

_“-And because of you, I did survive.” “I don’t know what to say.” “I do. Thank you, Master.” “you’re welcome, my Padawan-“_

_“-I would never let anyone hurt you Ahsoka, never.” “Anakin, you have to trust me now.” “Ahsoka I do trust you.” “I know you do. Wish me luck-“_

_“-I’m sorry master, but I’m not coming back.” “Ahsoka, you are making a mistake.” “I understand wanting to walk away from the Order.” “I know-“_

_“-Hello Master. It’s been a while.” “A- Ahsoka. Wha- I don’t believe it. How are you? Where are you? A- are you okay?-“_

_“-Anakin, good luck-“_

Ahsoka pulled away from his mind and used all the energy she had left – which wasn’t much – to jump up to the hovering shuttle. The jump pushed her robe away from her. Her hood fell off. The moment she landed, she looked down. His helmet was tilted up, signaling that he was looking at her. But she could already feel that. The Force told her he was staring at her intently.

The shuttle started moving and the ramp started to close, but she kept looking. Nobody down there made a move. Ahsoka’s plan had worked. They were getting away.

The moment the ramp closed was the moment Ahsoka felt like she could breathe again. That was the hardest thing she ever had to do in her life. Her entire mind and body hurt. He was so incredibly powerful. Taking him on mentally had been almost impossible.

When she stepped out into the main area of the shuttle she was greeted with worried questions.

“I’m fine,” was all Ahsoka answered with. “My plan worked. We got away. Now let’s go into hiding. We can’t afford to stay on their radars.”

They all took her dismissal begrudgingly but listened. Yet Ahsoka knew they would want to talk to her about this later.

* * *

In the meantime, Vader had been looking at the retreating shuttle.

He had not expected the breach of his mind. Least of all the memories it pushed through. Those were the memories of Anakin Skywalker and his failed apprentice, Ahsoka Tano.

When the former Jedi jumped up on that shuttle and he really saw her, was the moment it truly got through to him. And at that moment Skywalker took the lead, pushing Vader back. Because that was Ahsoka Tano. She was here. _She was alive._

Staring at her made her name slip from his mouth. It wasn’t loud enough for the vocoder to pick up, but he heard it with his own ears. “Ahsoka,” was said with so much pain and grief.

Only when they were out of range did his senses come back. The rage returned, and he couldn’t believe he let that shuttle leave.

“I want a planetwide search. Find me those rebels. _And bring me the failed Jedi Ahsoka Tano,_ ” Vader ordered, his voice booming. Everyone around him moved to get to work.

Vader had his work cut out for him. His focus should be on the Onderon rebels, but his sole purpose was on finding Ahsoka and taking her in. He was _not_ losing her again.

* * *

The flight back to Saw’s secret hiding base took longer now than before. That was of course because they had to take a detour. They couldn’t risk being tracked.

Ahsoka was silent for the entirety of the flight. Since her dismissal of her friends she hadn’t said a word. She just sat in the back, silently staring at the wall. Jax had even checked if she was still breathing. She truly showed no signs of life. To be fair, Ahsoka did feel like she was dead to the world at that moment anyways.

Tears were burning behind Ahsoka’s eyes, but she couldn’t cry. She would have no way of explaining it to anyone. But Force did she want to just ugly cry right now.

_Anakin – Vader – tried to kill her!_

The hopeful part of her told her that he didn’t yet know who she was and when he did, he made no further move to attack, but the rational part told her it didn’t matter. She was a former Jedi and that was worth being killed for.

All Ahsoka could do _not_ to cry was hold on to that hopeful part that he still cared for her. He hadn’t forced her out of his mind. He didn’t pull her down when she jumped to the shuttle and he didn’t stop the shuttle when they took off, even though Ahsoka knew he was capable of all of those options.

That information gave Ahsoka reason to believe he cared for her, still. That must be it. Again, the rational part of her mind told her it was just his shock at seeing her. He probably thought she’d died. She’d done her best to cover her tracks ever since escaping from Mandalore all those years ago.

But the rational part of her mind wasn’t the one Ahsoka would be listening to right now. She didn’t want to. The galaxy was bleak enough as it is, a little hope wouldn’t hurt anyone.

She was shaken from her nonstop pondering by a hand on her shoulder. Ahsoka’s glassy eyes locked with Jax’s.

“We’ve reached the base. We’ll be landing soon.” Jax stayed silent for a bit after that, before continuing. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Ahsoka did her best to force a smile. She didn’t succeed. “No, but I will be.”

“Do you want to talk about it? Perhaps to Lorey? I can ask her,” Jax said.

Ahsoka shook her head. “I can’t explain what’s happening to me right now, but perhaps someday I’ll take you up on your offer.” And with that she got up.

When they landed at the base, they all got out quickly to get inside the makeshift blast doors. Right now, that was the only place they would be safe.

Saw’s people – the ones that got away right before they did – approached him. They had many questions about how they had escaped the Empire. Saw’s eyes found Ahsoka’s, but she looked away. She just didn’t want to talk about it.

Ahsoka felt the forceful presence of darkness in the back of her mind. Another side effect from her encounter with Vader: it reestablished their Force bond. And he was trying extremely hard to get in her head. Obviously to try and pinpoint her location. It took a lot of her concentration to keep him out.

Where Ahsoka had been able to block Anakin from their bond all those years ago, it was a lot harder to block Vader now. He’d obviously grown more powerful over the years. It hurt Ahsoka to think about the fact that it was all because of the Dark Side.

An emergency meeting was called, and everyone assembled around the HoloTable. Chatter came from everywhere. It overwhelmed Ahsoka. There was too much input for her senses to handle, but she stayed where she was at. No time to show weakness now.

“Alright everyone! Calm down. Now is not the time to panic. Yes, we have to be careful but also organized-“ Saw started talking. Ahsoka tuned him out. Not to be rude, of course, but she just had to focus on one thing at a time right now. She stared intensely at the HoloTable while fighting hard with her shielding. 

She didn’t even know for how long she’d been staring, but suddenly her senses picked up another sentence from Saw, which the Force told her was important.

“If this place gets compromised, we’ll move to the old hide-out-“

Ahsoka looked up. “No, you can’t!” she blurted out without thinking. All eyes turned towards her. Kriff.

“I mean-“ Ahsoka took a breath- “the Empire knows about that location. They’ll find everyone who goes there. I’m only warning you.”

“And how do they know? We’ve never really told anyone about this other than people who actually went there,” someone among the crowd said.

And wasn’t that just a good point which Ahsoka couldn’t really explain. She couldn’t tell them Darth Vader was Anakin Skywalker and that he knew of the location because he’d been there before himself.

“When I got here to help you way back when, it wasn’t in service of the Republic, that’s true. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t know where we were going. I’m sure the location was in a database somewhere. And since the Republic became the Empire, I can assure you that they know,” Ahsoka got out. In her mind it sounded like a reasonable explanation, all things considered. It would have to do.

The others seemed to think it over, before nodding in agreement.

“Ahsoka has a point,” Saw said. “The risk would be too great. We have to figure something else out.”

And that’s how it went on for hours. Strategies had to be laid out, escape plans were put in place. Every detail was being worked out.

* * *

Ahsoka was exhausted by the time the meeting ended. She didn’t even say goodbye to anyone before making her way towards her assigned chamber. She needed sleep, desperately.

But as Ahsoka laid in bed, she realized that she couldn’t sleep. Her mind wouldn’t let her be vulnerable like that. Because, what if _he_ would get into her head when she was asleep? What if she gave all these people away while simply sleeping?

Sighing, Ahsoka sat back upright and leaned against the wall.

That’s how Lorey found her about an hour later. She stared at Ahsoka, who looked almost dead. It was a strange sight, that someone could be so physically affected after a hectic day. It’s like all the stress and sleepless nights of Ahsoka’s entire life had caught up to her. Had opposing Vader today taken so much out of her? It pained Lorey to look at her friend like that. She wondered why Ahsoka was even still awake.

“Ahsoka? What are you still doing up? You look like you could fall over any second now,” Lorey asked.

“With the amount of energy I have left, I probably _will_ fall over in a few minutes,” Ahsoka said absentmindedly. “Will you catch me when I do?”

Lorey didn’t react to Ahsoka’s statement, but she did smile at the Togruta girl. “Why aren’t you sleeping yet?” she just asked.

“I can’t. My mind won’t let me. Don’t ask. It’s too complicated to explain. Force stuff,” Ahsoka said with a monotone voice. She really didn’t have any energy left.

Lorey contemplated what to say next but decided to just be blunt. “Was it Vader?"

That made Ahsoka’s eyes snap up at her, confirming her suspicions. Looking away, Ahsoka continued to stare at the wall.

Despite Lorey now knowing what it was about, she still didn’t have enough information for her liking. But then Ahsoka spoke up. “Vader, he… he’s the most powerful opponent I have ever faced. It took a lot out of me to distract him back there. I used his own mind against him, but that established a link of our minds. The entire day he’s tried to get into my head. And it’s very tiresome to keep him out. I’m afraid to go to sleep because he might break through while my mind is at its weakest. I can’t let that happen.”

To be honest, Lorey didn’t understand half of it. But it sounded like it pained Ahsoka a great deal. Lorey sat down next to her. “I know I won’t truly be able to understand what all that actually means, but I can be here for you. Would it help your mind stay strong if someone else was there to help you sleep?” she asked.

Ahsoka shrugged. Lorey understood that actually meant ‘no’ but that the other girl didn’t want to say it out loud. Lorey really wanted to help but didn’t know what to do. She just decided to be there for her friend. “No matter what happens, Ahsoka, I’ll be here for you.”

Ahsoka smiled at Lorey and suddenly – finally – fell sideways against her. Ahsoka’s eyes fell shut and before long her breathing started to slow down, signaling that the Togruta had fallen asleep. Lorey didn’t mind. She’d give up a night’s sleep for Ahsoka any day, if it meant the other girl would be fit enough to keep going.

And that’s how they stayed the entire night, leaning against each other. Ahsoka had only happy dreams that night. Being snuggled up like this against someone brought back dreams from back at the Temple, with the other younglings, and later with Anakin when they had been shipped out and needed to keep warm.

And due to the happy dreams, her mind was strong enough to resist any attempt to break in. In fact, Ahsoka didn’t even notice Vader at some point stopped trying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone for their comments and kudos. The response I got last chapters has made me really happy. Keep them coming :)
> 
> Btw, before I forget: last weekend I went through a major edit process for this story. I changed a lot of the layout for it. dialogue tags an the likes were updated. I realised that I'd made some mistakes storywise in the earliest chapters of this story that I corrected. So, just so you know.


	19. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rebels try to come up with a plan. It does not go as they want.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I had a pretty shitty week. The only thing I do that I like that is even remotely social has been cancelled. Now I have nothing to do outside besides work. My car is broken and probably can't be repaired, so I have to desperately save up money for a new one. I also have a nasty stomach bug. 
> 
> Blah blah you probably don't care, but why I'm saying this is because it might have affected my writing. If so, I'm sorry. I hope you can enjoy this regardless. I did really do my best.

Two days had passed, and the waiting wasn’t doing anyone any good. The Empire hadn’t left yet, which was to be expected. Of course, they wouldn’t leave before they’d caught all the insurgents. And the Empire had the advantage here. They had all the equipment and manpower they needed at their disposal. They would flush the rebels out before long.

The movements of their troops had been monitored as carefully as possible. And they were getting closer to the secret hideout. Which was why everyone was currently in a meeting.

Again.

“It’ll be less than a day before they’ve found us. We’ll be executed if we don’t leave,” one person said.

“We can’t leave. We have everything of importance here! The Empire can’t get their hands on our equipment and plans. We must take our stand and fight!” another said.

And that’s how every meeting had gone for the past two days. Ahsoka was growing tired of it. She’d recovered from her breakdown – yes, she was confident in calling it a breakdown – the other night and was now back at full strength. She stood with her arms crossed at the side of the HoloTable, viewing the squabbling masses among her. Next to her stood Saw, who was looking at the discussion with the same impression she held: impatience.

They shared a look before Saw spoke up. “Alright. I’ve heard all of you and we’ll take it into consideration. Now, I must ask everyone not of our command to leave the meeting. We’ll continue this discussion in a private setting.”

Many grumbled but left as instructed, leaving the higher-ups around the table, Ahsoka among them.

“What’s the status of the Empire, currently?” Saw asked.

Someone pulled up a map of the environment around the base with the Empire’s current position in the search according to the scouts. They were indeed getting awfully close.

“And the status in orbit?” Saw then asked. The map changed to a planetary one.

“There’s still only one Star Destroyer up there. We don’t know if they’ve called for more. If they did, the reinforcements haven’t arrived yet.

Ahsoka contemplated if she should speak up. Her eyes met Saw’s and he nodded, feeling she had something to say. “I think we should leave. Like one of your people just said, they’re closing in. We won’t last another day. But if we leave now, we can evade the ground troops and get away before they lock down the planet. It would be the best choice we have if we take the lives of your people into consideration.”

Everyone stared at her, their expressions saying a lot. Some agreed, but not all.

“And what would that accomplish? We will have lost our place to stay and can’t fight for our planet anymore,” one said.

“I understand that, but if we stay here and they find us, you’ll lose this place regardless. And you’ll die. At least, when we leave, you’ll have a chance to return later to keep fighting for this planet. Vader has no reason to stay on Onderon if we’re all gone, believe me on that. I guarantee you that you can return in a few days. Two weeks at most. It would be the safest solution if you care for all the people you’ve recruited lately,” Ahsoka said.

Many looks were exchanged and people mumbled and whispered to each other with Ahsoka looking at them all. She really felt like an outsider at that moment, but it didn’t matter. This was a moment in which she had to assume the role of Jedi and take control of the situation.

Then Saw spoke up. “I agree with her. We’re risking everyone here if we stay any longer. We should evacuate. We’ll take everyone who wants to come, but we won’t force the once who don’t. But if we do this, we must move fast. Because we have less than a day to delete everything of importance from our servers and pack up.”

Again, everyone exchanged looks but conceded. Saw was their leader. If he thought it was best, it probably was. They called everyone back again and Saw gave the announcement.

“I’ll keep this short. We have no time to lose. We’re evacuating. Get everything you need. If you don’t want to come, then don’t. But if you do, get ready now. I want everyone out by the end of the day,” Saw spoke with authority. So many voices were heard from the crowd, but the message was clear. Before long everyone moved to get their things. There was barely anyone that wanted to stay.

Ahsoka made her way to her own team. They were already together and planning. She stepped between them. “I assume you heard. We’re leaving. Get everything we need. We will stay to help and rendezvous at the chosen location, of which I will inform you when I learn of it myself,” she said. The others nodded and all moved out to get their things and prep their shuttle without so much as a word. Everyone was in ‘all business’ mode.

* * *

It took several hours, but everyone was finally ready to leave. Ahsoka and Saw stood in front of the still closed makeshift blast doors, with all the stolen ships the rebels had gathered over the years behind them. Ahsoka had dispatched her teammates around the base to help with takeoff. They had the fastest shuttle and would leave as one of the last so they could help if something went wrong.

Saw and Ahsoka exchanged a look before nodding at each other. “Open the doors! We’re leaving!” Saw commanded. And slowly the doors opened.

Ahsoka reached out with the Force to see if anyone was hiding outside but felt nothing. That sounds like something good, but she felt _absolutely nothing_ , which could also mean something very bad, like every presence was being shielded or something. But Ahsoka had no time to dwell on it. They had to move. If she couldn’t find any Stormtroopers, they were cleared to take off.

The Star Destroyer had been tracked so they wouldn’t fly in its trajectory. Ahsoka turned back around and gave the all clear signal before closing herself off from the Force entirely. Better not to give herself away to Vader right now when he got too close. And with that the evacuation started. Ship after ship started taking off, taking all kinds of people with them.

Ahsoka moved around the base, checking in with her friends on the comms. They were helping shuttles at the other entrances and they agreed to all check in after a few minutes. And they all did so dutifully.

Ahsoka told them to rendezvous at their own shuttle to get ready to leave as well. Everything was going according to plan and they wouldn’t be needed anymore. The ships knew their own take-off plan by now.

She left her post and made her way across the base to their own shuttle. There she met all her friends.

Except Lorey.

“Where’s Lorey,” Ahsoka asked. But nobody had an answer. “She should’ve been here first. She was closest by. Why isn’t she-“ Ahsoka got cut off by a warning from the Force, and then the shooting started.

The base got invaded by stormtroopers. Much more than they had anticipated. Panic overtook them all. But Ahsoka wasn’t panicking because of the stormtroopers, she was panicking because of the dark presence that was coming from Lorey’s position that suddenly revealed itself.

“Get on that shuttle. Everyone single group is on their own now. We _have_ to leave. I’ll get Lorey. Don’t wait for us, okay? We’ll get out on our own. Just get yourself to safety!” Ahsoka commanded.

She was met with hesitation. “We won’t leave the both of you here Ahsoka!” Thea said. “We have to get everyone out!”

“It’s too late. Lorey and I can handle ourselves. We’ll manage. I promise we’ll come back to you, okay. Please leave. I can’t have you all dead!” Ahsoka pleaded. And that got them to comply. They rushed into the shuttle, ducking away from the shots. Ahsoka was thankful for the fact that Stormtroopers were terrible shots.

Ahsoka had no time to think about that, though, because she had to save Lorey from Vader. She rushed to her friend’s position, which was completely blocked by ruble. The entrance had been blown up. How had she missed that explosion? Was she losing her touch? This mission must really be getting to her.

Ahsoka rushed up the ruble to get over it. The higher she got, the better she could hear Vader. He was talking to someone. Before long she had the two people in her sights. And to her surprise and horror it was Lorey.

“Where is Ahsoka Tano?” Vader demanded. Lorey took a step back from him. “I don’t know who you’re talking about,” she said defiantly. It almost sounded convincing, if only for the fact that her entire body language betrayed the amount of fear she actually held.

“I know you’re aware of her. Your mind betrays you. You fear for your Jedi _friend_ ,” Vader said with much venom. “You would be wise to tell me where she is, and maybe your death will be swift,” Vader said.

He apparently had enough after that because he reached out his hand, and suddenly Lorey’s hand reached up to her throat. She started sputtering. Vader was Force chocking her!

Ahsoka quickly jumped down. She would not let Lorey die! “Let her go, Vader,” Ahsoka said from behind him. Her voice was demanding. She would not back down.

Vader turned around and stared her down, yet he did not release his hold on Lorey. “Ahsoka Tano. I knew you would be here,” he said. And Ahsoka felt so scared, for Lorey and for herself. But he was also still her old master. So she would use that to her advantage.

“Hello Skyguy, it’s been a while. I see you’ve changed quite a bit. I can confidently say the Dark Side doesn’t suit you,” Ahsoka said, using her old nickname for him. She didn’t know what it would do to him, or why she even said it in the first place, but it was out there now. She was now just hoping for some kind of recognition. Some way to tell her that her hope might not be misplaced.

Vader’s hand flexed and Ahsoka could see Lorey struggle even more. He was applying more pressure! Then he activated his lightsaber with his other hand. The nickname obviously didn’t bring back good memories for him, to Ahsoka’s disappointment.

“Your snippy attitude won’t do you any good right now, _Snips._ You are greatly outmatched here,” Vader said. Well thank the Maker, he at least still knew the nickname he had for her. Though it sounded wrong through the voice modulator. And it was said with so much venom. That wasn’t a good thing at all, but it was progress. Ahsoka had to stay positive. She had to have hope.

“We don’t have to fight. I did promise you we would catch up another time, the last time I saw you. Besides, you once told me you would never let anyone hurt me. Ever. I guess you make a lot of promises you don’t intend to keep,” Ahsoka said, stone-faced.

Vader remained silent for a second, but his grip on Lorey tightening once again. Ahsoka was sure Lorey would die any second now if she didn’t do anything, fast.

“You left, Ahsoka. And only when you needed us again, did you come back. I’m not the one you should look at if you’re talking about breaking promises,” Vader replied. Again, Ahsoka felt a small form of triumph. He’d referred to something of Anakin’s past. That had to be a good thing, right?

But didn’t that comment of his just rub Ahsoka the wrong way, regardless of her feelings of triumph. Putting that decision on her like that wasn’t fair! “I didn’t leave _you_! If you hadn’t been with an Order that betrayed me, then I would’ve stayed with you. But you decided to stay in the Order, and I couldn’t. Not anymore. So, don’t you dare blame me. Don’t you blame me for leaving and don’t blame me for your mistakes. I know you’re doing it. I can feel your resentment of me. It needs to stop. Now let her go Vader.” Ahsoka activated one of her lightsabers – a lightsaber Anakin had collected after her trial and kept, taken care of, and modified as a sign of his care for her – and pointed it at him.

Again, it stayed silent on the other end, but to Ahsoka’s surprise he released Lorey. The girl fell on the ground, coughing heavily and trying desperately to catch her breath. Ahsoka sighed in relief. The moment Lorey had recovered enough, she immediately ran up to Ahsoka.

“Go find a ship. I’ll join you in a bit. We have to get ready to get out of here,” Ahsoka quickly said to her. Lorey ran away but didn’t go to the ship. She went and hid behind some ruble to keep an eye on her friend. She was not leaving Ahsoka alone. 

Ahsoka and Vader were caught in a staring match, both with a lightsaber lit and at the ready. Ahsoka was the first one to speak up again.

“When Maul told me back on Mandalore what your fate was going to be, I didn’t believe him. I told him that I knew you. You could _never_ do something so stupid as turning to the Dark Side. Yet here you are, ready to kill me.” She sighed. “I’m sorry I left and let you become… this,” Ahsoka said as she gestured to him.

“If you didn’t want to leave back then, this is your chance to make it right, Ahsoka. Join me,” Vader said back, completely taking Ahsoka by surprise. Was he asking her to join him? He wanted her by his side, still? The hope she had for him flared brighter, but she couldn’t let it show.

But at the same time, behind the ruble, Lorey’s eyes widened. What?! She watched as Ahsoka kept staring at Vader, her face barely betraying any emotion, but for a second a reaction was visible. Ahsoka looked pained, yet hopeful. Lorey had no idea what was going through her head at the moment.

“If this offer came from my former master, I would have taken it in a heartbeat,” Ahsoka eventually said after an unsufferable minute of silence, “but you’re not him. I will never join you,” Ahsoka said determined, lighting her other lightsaber, and entering a fighting stance. She couldn’t join him, not right now. She had to figure out how do deal with all this first. And she had to talk to some people.

“Then so be it. Your demise will please the Emperor.” Vader began to stalk forward.

“I won’t be so easy to get rid of,” Ahsoka said, getting ready to deflect Vader’s first attack. She wasn’t planning on dying by his hand, today.

But before they could lock blades, cannon shots blew them apart. The shuttle belonging to Ahsoka’s team flew overhead, shooting at every place currently occupied by stormtroopers, and also Ahsoka and Vader. Ahsoka wanted to be mad at her friends for not listening to her and leaving, but right now she was just thankful.

Ahsoka used the cover of the blasts to make her escape towards an abandoned ship, not looking back at Vader and passing Lorey on her way. She knew Lorey hadn’t left to find a ship yet, so she would have to do it herself.

“C’mon, we have to get out of here!” she shouted at the other girl. Ahsoka couldn’t quite muster up the care for the fact that Lorey had stayed instead of leaving to find a ship. They’d talk about that later.

They reached an abandoned ship within a few seconds. Rebels lay around it, having been shot on their way in. Ahsoka couldn’t pay them any mind right now. It was every man/woman for themselves right now. People died in war, that’s just the way things go. She urged Lorey inside before following. She then quickly started the startup sequence and lifted the ship in the air. She flew it out of the base and into orbit as fast as she could. The navicomputer was making the calculations for the jump to the rendezvous point and as soon as it was done, Ahsoka made the jump to lightspeed.

* * *

Only when they were in hyperspace, did both girls dare to breathe again. Lorey turned to stare at her. “You know him,” Lorey stated simply. The implication of that statement was clear as day.

“Many people know of Darth Vader, yes. As a former Jedi I believe it’s quite my right to know the man who murdered them all,” Ahsoka shot back.

“No, not that way. You _know_ him. You have a history there,” Lorey stated harshly.

Ahsoka sighed. She could give the excuse again of the Jedi purges, but she knew that wouldn’t work. what harm could it do to tell Lorey anyways? “I do,” she eventually said as she stared out to the blue swirls of hyperspace around them.

“Explain,” Lorey demanded. Ahsoka didn’t have to listen to her demand – they were equals – but she started explaining anyway.

“I told you about my master. That was him. That is Anakin Skywalker. Or was, in this aspect. Back then you asked me if I knew what happened to him. Well, he went through a process known as falling. It’s when a Jedi, a user of the Light Side of the Force, switches to the Dark Side. I’ve known Vader was Anakin for almost a year. I learned of his identity a few days before I met you, in fact. I’m sorry I never said anything,” Ahsoka said as she hung her head in shame.

They remained silent. Lorey didn’t comment on Ahsoka’s secret keeping. The other girl had told her about her master and how fond she was of him. Lorey could understand. She almost didn’t dare ask.

“He asked you to join him,” she said. Again, the implication was clear.

“He did. But I could never join him. Not with his ideals. Not as long as he’s on the Dark Side. The only way something like that could ever happen is if there was still part of my master in him, and right now I don’t even know if that’s true,” Ahsoka said with determination, but deep down she knew she was lying. If there were even one small chances of saving him, she would run to him and take it. But she wouldn’t tell Lorey that.

Ahsoka turned away, signaling the end of the conversation.

But Lorey wasn’t done yet. “Does anyone else know?” she asked.

Ahsoka didn’t look back, but she did answer. “Bail Organa does. He knew before I did. He has his reasons as to the how and why. Don’t ever talk to him about it, though. It’s a touchy subject.” Then she turned back to Lorey and looked her right in the eyes. “You can’t tell anyone else. Please. I don’t want them to think they can’t trust me. and it’s not our secret to tell. Please, I’m begging you.”

Lorey wanted to protest, but she could see the worry in Ahsoka’s eyes. She gave in. “Okay. I trust your judgement, but don’t make me regret it Ahsoka. This isn’t just some throw-away information anyone can forget about.”

Ahsoka nodded. “Thank you Lorey. You have no idea how much I appreciate this.”

And with that the conversation between the two ended. The rest of the flight towards their rendezvous was spent in a not-quite-comfortable silence. Both girls had a lot on their mind after this revelation, and decisions to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks once again for all the comments and kudos. They really encourage me to keep going and give my all for this story. Keep them coming <3


	20. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka deals with the emotional aftermath from the mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where last week was a terrible week, this week is a real good one. I got an iPad for portable work instead of a huge ass laptop. My contract at work got extended for another year and I got myself a new car. With a loan, but that'll work itself out. I'm just happy that shit got fixed. 
> 
> I want to thank the people who send kind words my way. You have no idea how much I appreciated it. Much love <3

Ahsoka and Lorey were the last to arrive at the rendezvous point, which was logical. They were the last to leave. They landed on the small moon – which Ahsoka had not bothered to learn the name of. It started with an I. She didn’t need to know more. She had coordinates – and were immediately surrounded by many people.

When Lorey stepped out she was engulfed in a hug by Thea. “Lorey! You’re okay! We were so worried about you. What happened?” the girl asked.

Lorey gave a sideward glance towards Ahsoka, who shook her heads subtly. It was hardly noticeable, but Lorey was looking for it.

“Well, when the Empire ambushed us, I tried to help out as much as I could. I couldn’t make it to the shuttle in time. I’m sorry,” Lorey said.

“So, what was that about with Vader, then?” Jax asked pointedly. Lorey’s eyes widened slightly. But before she could give anything away about the fact that she was keeping a secret, Ahsoka cut in.

“Vader was on Lorey’s side of the base. He was looking for me. Former Jedi and all that. I didn’t get to Lorey soon enough and had to confront him. I was about to engage him but then you guys flew by and blasted us apart. I think you saved my life, so I thank you,” Ahsoka said, but then her tone changed drastically. “But that was the stupidest thing you could’ve done. What were you thinking?!” she finished, coming off quite angry.

The others exchanged glances. “We could ask you the same thing. You were the one who said engaging Vader was pointless. Like you just said, we saved your life. Don’t you dare be mad at us now,” Deo said. The others let out sounds of agreement.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes in a playful manner, but her entire posture was tense. Dara picked up on it easily.

“Are you okay? You seem very tense?” she asked.

“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just some adrenaline that’s left. Escaping an army of stormtroopers – not to forget Vader – will do that to you. C’mon, I have to meet with Saw. And I believe we should leave for Alderaan again soon. We haven’t reported in with command ever since we arrived on Onderon,” Ahsoka said.

The others couldn’t help but agree. Ahsoka made a point. But Dara was convinced there was more to Ahsoka’s mood. And Lorey seemed to know about it. But Dara was far from the only one who had suspicions about Ahsoka’s honesty ever since they’d arrived on Onderon. It just seemed like she was keeping important things from them all of a sudden. And none of the team could understand why. Ahsoka had been honest about everything ever since she joined them. What reason could she have to stop that streak now?

Were her loyalties shifting?

Ahsoka would be lying if she said she hadn’t read her friends’ thoughts and emotions regarding her. They were all having doubts about her intentions. She couldn’t fault them for it, but it hurt. She really wanted to talk to someone about what had happened.

Of course, she had Lorey, but the girl in question didn’t know everything about her bond with Anakin and the way this entire situation affected her. Ahsoka needed someone who actually knew them both. And she was already formulating a plan in her mind to reach that certain someone.

But first things first. Saw. Ahsoka caught him talking to some of his other commanders near one of the starships. She made her way over, with her friends right on her heels.

“Saw. How’s it going? Did a count yet?” Ahsoka asked, completely taking over the conversation. Ahsoka was quite used to command, after all. The sound of her voice made Saw look up.

“Ahsoka, you made it. When your team arrived without you, I had to say I was worried,” Saw started. “Yeah. We did a count. We lost several men and women. We’ll hold services for them when we return to Onderon.”

Ahsoka smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She couldn’t fake it, to her own chagrin. “Yes, it was with some difficulty, but I got myself and my friend out. I’m glad you did too. I’m sorry for the people you lost,” she said as she inclined her head in respect.

“Thank you,” Saw replied. Then he continued on to the business. “So, we’ve been talking about our plans going forward. I don’t like to admit that I was wrong, but maybe we do need to take things more slowly from now on. At least for a little while. These few days have showed us that we’re not strong enough to take on the full might of the Empire – and I’m fully aware of the fact that what we faced wasn’t even half of their full might. Someday we will be ready, but that time is not right now. I do believe we should focus some more on the people; gain their trust back. For the time being, at least.”

Ahsoka did manage a genuine smile at that. At least there was some good news coming out of this. “That’s good to hear, Saw. I’m sorry it took this entire situation to escalade for you to realize, but still. I hope you can keep it up,” she said.

“What will you be doing now?” Saw then asked.

Ahsoka looked back at her team. “I think we’ll leave. Let you regroup on your own terms. I don’t think you need us anymore. I will give you my comm frequency, though. That way we can stay connected. The more people against the Empire get together, the bigger of a chance we have of defeating them one day,” Ahsoka said as she quickly typed it out and handed it to him.

“That’s quite alright. We thank you for your help. I don’t think we would’ve made it without a Jedi with us,” Saw said. Then he took the frequency number. “Just like your master’s Fulcrum frequency we used back in the Clone Wars,” he said.

A pained expression displayed on Ahsoka’s face for a second, but as soon as it appeared it was gone. Saw noticed it and felt sorry for the former Jedi. It was obvious the loss of her master had affected her.

Of course, Saw didn’t know the half of the grief and problems Ahsoka’s former master brought her right now. She nodded anyways in regard to the reference, because despite her feelings about Anakin, he was right. It was just like that. He’d inspired her in many ways, of course. “Thank you for your hospitality these past few days. Until we meet again,” she ended up saying.

Saw nodded and they took each other’s arm and shook it. When she released him, Ahsoka turned around and headed back over to her friends. They’d all heard the conversation and were ready to leave. Everyone got into the shuttle and they took off. Ahsoka was glad to leave this chapter behind her. Yes, she was friends with the Onderon rebels, but the last few days had been hell for her. Now all she had to do was think about what had happened, how to proceed and talk to someone about it.

* * *

Their flight back was spent in complete silence, which didn’t happen often. Everyone was exhausted. Most of them had slept for the duration of the trip. So, when they exited hyperspace and were greeted with the familiar sight of Alderaan, they all let out a sigh of relief. They were home.

They contacted the palace for clearance to land in the private hanger, which they were granted with the message that command was asking for a meeting which Lorey and Ahsoka had to attend. Both girls confirmed they would be there.

* * *

As soon as they landed, they got all their stuff and separated. Lorey and Ahsoka made their way to the meeting room and were greeted by all of command, who were already present. They both took a seat. One of the commanders began the meeting immediately.

“I have to say, captains, when we got the report that Onderon had been invaded by new Imperial forces we feared the worst. Especially considering that we didn’t hear anything from you. We were so glad to hear you were returning to us. Please give us your report,” he said.

Lorey got up. They’d agreed she would do the report so that Ahsoka could collect herself. Since Lorey now knew what was bothering her so much, she could help her with these sorts of things.

“Well commander, we arrived a little less than a week ago. We were greeted by the rebels. We didn’t get along all that well at first, but Ahsoka helped quite a bit with that. Gerrera and her seemed to get along and get to an agreement regarding our mission there: civilian casualties.

“They told us they were planning an attack on a new Imperial factory that had recently been placed there. Their plan was to just blow it up, no matter the people inside. We compromised on the plan and they would blow it up with a warning, so the people could get out. But they went back on their word. The factory was blow up and collapsed, with no warning and everyone still inside. This caught the attention of the Empire and hours later a Star Destroyer entered the system. From that moment on we were being hunted. The new troops were led by Darth Vader. Ahsoka faced off against him twice, neither leading into a real physical confrontation-“

Lorey continued her report, but Ahsoka’s attention got caught on something else. Form across the table, Bail had turned to look at her, eyes full of concern. Ahsoka stared back with a solemn expression before averting her gaze back to Lorey. She would talk to Bail about this later. Ahsoka tuned back in with Lorey’s report.

“-we got ready for evacuation but were ambushed. We barely got away. Onderon’s guerilla fighters have since regrouped at a moon in a nearby system. That’s where we left them, with their promise to mind civilian lives. Our mission had a lot of trouble, but in the end the objective was achieved.” And with that Lorey concluded her report.

* * *

Reactions were given, praises and criticism were received, datapads were filled in and filed away. All in all, it took a while for the meeting to end. Ahsoka waited in the room until everyone had left. Everyone except Bail. They stared at each other for a second, neither really knowing where to start. In the end he spoke up first.

“So, you met Vader, twice. I don’t want to push you, but-“ Bail couldn’t finish his sentence. Ahsoka cut him off by holding up her hand.

“Don’t worry, I understand,” Ahsoka said. She sighed before continuing. “You just heard Lorey’s report. He led the assault on the planet. But there were still rebels in the city. We went to get them out before the Empire could arrest or even execute them, but we weren’t fast enough. I figured I was the only one who would stand a chance against him. I confronted him – in disguise I have to add – and pretended to give myself up. Then, before he got too close, I used the Force to push memories into his head. It worked, somehow. He didn’t attack me, and he let us get away. I don’t know why. Maybe it was shock, or maybe recognition, who knows.

“Next time I faced him was during the evacuation. They ambushed us, and Vader was at Lorey’s side of the base. He choked her with to Force to get my location. I demanded he let her go. We talked, or something. He remembered me – the connection we had. But that’s all the implication I got before he was ready to kill me. We got away. That’s all that matters,” Ahsoka finished. She was on the verge of tears by the end. But she couldn’t cry. She wouldn’t let herself. Not here and not now.

Ahsoka purposefully hadn’t told Bail about the fact that Vader had offered her a place at his side, or that she had hope that Anakin could be turned back. She wanted to speak to someone else first who might know how to move forward about that, before revealing such a compromising piece of information.

Bail had nodded along with her story as a sign that he was listening and understood. “I wish you didn’t have to go through that. I don’t know what else to say to you right now. I understand this must be hard on you. If you need some time to figure this out on your own, I will completely understand and grand it to you right now,” he said.

“I would very much like to visit Obi-Wan if that’s okay. He has a right to know what happened. And I would indeed like some time away from it all. His hiding place doesn’t have much of an Imperial presence, as you must be aware of. I think it would do me good,” Ahsoka replied.

“Of course. You’re more than welcome to take one of the smaller shuttles and go meet him. Give him my greetings when you get there. I’ll inform your team of your leave. I bid you good luck,” Bail said as he got up.

Ahsoka mimicked the movement and together they walked out of the room. “Thank you Bail, for understanding,” Ahsoka then said. She tried to smile at him, but it was extremely hard to even smile at all.

“Of course, Ahsoka. Anytime. Take care.” Bail did manage to smile, to Ahsoka’s jealousy. Though that wasn’t fair; he was not going through the things she was going through.

They parted ways after that. Ahsoka back to the hanger and Bail to his personal quarters.

Ahsoka took the first small shuttle available and started the take-off sequence. Before long she was in the air, on her way to Tatooine. Time to meet Obi-Wan in real life for the first time in almost a year. On her way there she finally let her guard down and her resolve crumbled. From that point on she just kept on crying and crying. Everything she’d been bottling up from the last 6 years flowed out. She didn’t stop up until the point that she reached the barren desert planet.

* * *

It was the middle of the night and Obi-Wan was sleeping on his bed when a warning from the Force woke him up. Someone was outside. Someone with a familiar Force presence. Obi-Wan could make out who it was, but he didn’t want to take any chances. He picked up his lightsaber and opened the door.

There she stood. With puffy eyes and a pleading look, Ahsoka Tano suddenly looked a lot younger than she really was. She looked more like the 16-year-old Padawan that had just been accused of betraying the Order, than the 23-year-old rebel fighter she currently was.

And she’d been crying. That was not a good sign. Something must’ve happened to her to make her this upset. Ahsoka had almost never cried in the entire time Obi-Wan has known her. He assessed her real quick before making way for her to come inside.

Without saying anything she started walking in before basically falling down in a chair. Ahsoka started sobbing while she tried to say something. “I… he… kill me… horrible…” was all Obi-Wan really picked up. He couldn’t understand a thing she was saying.

Obi-Wan moved next to Ahsoka and put a hand on her shoulder. “Ahsoka, I need you to calm down. Take deep breaths. It’s okay. Whatever happened, it’s not here now. You’re safe with me. C’mon, let’s get you to bed. You seem too tired to be talking about anything. Tomorrow we will talk. You can tell me everything that is bothering you,” he said as he guided her over to his bed. He wasn’t particularly good with these kinds of emotions. Jedi didn’t really do that. Silently he hoped that she would be calmer tomorrow.

Ahsoka nodded but continued to sob as she laid down. Obi-Wan guessed she wouldn’t stop that until she really fell asleep. He stayed next to her, sending a sense of comfort to her through the Force. He hoped that would work in calming her down a little. At least to help her fall asleep.

Obi-Wan was very curious about what had upset the girl so much, but he had to wait to find out. He wouldn’t probe her mind for the information. Ahsoka had come to him for a reason and he would give her the time she needs to calm down and be ready to talk about it.

Patience was something Obi-Wan had certainly mastered in his time here on Tatooine. He could wait a few more hours for Ahsoka’s story.

And that’s how Obi-Wan slowly fell asleep as well, in a chair next to Ahsoka’s sleeping form in his bed. Waiting for the morning to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a small thing: from this week forward I'll be working on Wednesdays again, which means updates might be a little bit later. The last few weeks before summer vacation will be quite hectic at my primary school with all the Corona shit.


	21. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka and Obi-Wan talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, since the last chapter went up this story reached 5000 hits. I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart! To me this feels like a huge achievement, so yes, thank you <3

The next morning Obi-Wan was the first to wake up. Ahsoka was still laying in the bed, sleeping quite deeply if her breathing was anything to go by.

Obi-Wan decided to get up and get started with his day. Not that he did anything of importance, but still. He tried to keep somewhat of a routine. He was sure he would be going mad without it. These years on Tatooine certainly made him understand why Anakin had hated the planet so much.

Obi-Wan went to his kitchen and made himself – and Ahsoka, for when she would wake up – some tea. He waited for the heating process to finish while thinking about the girl in question. Ahsoka had looked tired beyond believe and had been highly emotional. It seemed the last few… days, weeks, months? Obi-Wan didn’t even know. Anyways. It seemed that time hadn’t been kind to her.

When Obi-Wan rounded the corner with his freshly made tea, he saw Ahsoka sitting upright in the bed. She was staring at him.

“You want some tea?” he asked her. Ahsoka nodded.

Obi-Wan walked back into the kitchen to get the second cup of tea. He handed it to Ahsoka who took it gratefully. They drank in silence. The last time she was here, Ahsoka was the one who had to wait on Obi-Wan to tell her something. This time it was exactly the other way around. But he would wait just as patiently.

When Ahsoka was finished with her tea she turned back to Obi-Wan. “I’m ready to talk, but can we go outside? I would like some fresh air if I’m going to tell you everything,” she said.

Obi-Wan agreed and lead her outside. They started walking for a bit. Ahsoka kept staring at her feet before finally speaking up.

“Back on Mandalore, Maul told me he’d had a vision that Anakin would become Sidious’s apprentice. He _told_ me exactly what would happen, and I didn’t believe him. When you told me what Anakin had become, I had difficulty accepting it, but this time I did believe it to be true. Yet deep down some part of me always had the misguided hope that the both of you had just been dreaming and that it wasn’t real. But then I met Vader and I can confidently say that I believe everything ever said about his fate to be true. And it _hurts_ Obi-Wan,” Ahsoka said, tears again forming in her eyes. Why was she so emotional? As a Jedi she’d been taught to let her emotions go into the Force, but it wasn’t working at all. She just kept on being overwhelmed by all these emotions. Sadness, mostly.

Obi-Wan stopped walking and stared at her. A minute worth of silence swept over them in which they both just stared. So many thoughts went through his head. Ahsoka looked at him pleadingly, begging with her teary eyes for him to say something. He finally did.

“You encountered him? When? Where?” he asked.

“A few days ago. I had a mission on Onderon. Saw Gerrera’s rebels were causing trouble. Our rebel command wasn’t having it. I volunteered my team to take on the mission. I know Saw, after all. His team turned out to have planned an attack on a factory. They blew it up with civilian workers inside. I still despise him for it, but whatever. That isn’t the point right now-” Ahsoka basically rambled it all out.

“The Empire called in reinforcement coming off planet. I guess they were just done being bothered by this cell. It turned out they’d called in Vader. I wasn’t prepared, Obi-Wan. It all happened so fast. We went to the city to evacuate remaining rebels and before I knew it, his forces had arrived.”

Obi-Wan made no move to interrupt but did nod his head as a sign he was listening.

“I realized I was the only one who stood a chance against him, so I’d come up with a plan. I’d covered myself in a robe so nobody would recognize me. I got their attention by surrendering. Vader was ready to strike me down before I pushed our shared memories into his mind. He stopped, which was what I’d hoped for. We got away.”

Obi-Wan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Ahsoka had faced Vader and gotten away with it. She truly had grown in her Force capabilities to come up with such a plan and make it work. Vader was extraordinarily strong in the Force – which was commonly known among them – so for Ahsoka to go up against him like that was impressive.

“That’s quite something Ahsoka. I’m sorry. I’d hoped for you to never encounter him. We are all better off without Vader in our lives. I’m glad you got away when you did,” he said.

“That isn’t all, Obi-Wan. You see, I met him again. Same planet, just a few days later. We were hiding out at the rebel base, trying to figure out what to do next. We decided to evacuate for the time being. Turned out we weren’t fast enough. We were ambushed. Vader was with them, again. He’d taken one of my teammates to try and find out where I was. I- I talked to him, Obi-Wan. I spoke with Vader,” Ahsoka said, looking down.

Obi-Wan could just see in her entire demeanor that there was more to it than just a casual battlefield talk. He had a bad feeling about this.

“What do you mean Ahsoka?” he asked. Ahsoka didn’t look back up when she spoke again.

“He remembered the nickname he gave me after our first meeting on Christophsis. He called me ‘Snips’ albeit with way too much venom for my liking,” Ahsoka said. She took a slight pause, but Obi-Wan felt there was more coming. He stayed silent. “And then he offered me the chance to join him.”

That certainly took Obi-Wan by surprise. Vader asking Ahsoka to join him? That wasn’t good. “Ahsoka…” he started saying, but the Togruta cut him off.

“I know. I know what you’re about to say. I did turn him down, okay, but what if he didn’t just do it for my power? What if he did it because he still _cares_?” Ahsoka asked. And there it was. Ahsoka had been thinking about this since leaving Vader behind on Onderon. Obi-Wan was the first person she’d dared to even voice these thoughts to. He would be the only one that might understand.

Obi-Wan’s heart ached at the sliver op hope that came with Ahsoka’s particular statement. Ahsoka looked up at him so hopefully. She obviously wanted him to agree. “What are you trying to say here?” he asked carefully, a little afraid of the answer.

“What if Anakin is still in there somewhere. What if he just wants me by his side again, just like when I left the Order, or when we met up again right before Mandalore. It could be possible. It would certainly explain why he didn’t just cut me down when I revealed myself to him,” Ahsoka rambled.

Obi-Wan always thought the ability to hope in the darkest of times wasn’t a bad trait to have, but in this case, he had to make an exception. “Ahsoka… you know that’s impossible. He _Fell_ and you know it. You saw it. If Anakin was still in there somewhere, he never would’ve done the things he’s done in the past few years. You know this to be true,” he said.

“But what if it was me that brought Anakin out from behind the monster? What if _I_ could help him back to the Light? It could be possible, there’s just nobody that has tried before,” Ahsoka said determined. Obi-Wan could notice that she’d really thought about this. This wasn’t some idea she just came up with right this second. 

He shook his head. “You know how I fought him on Mustafar, right? I couldn’t turn him back. _Padmé_ couldn’t even turn him back. She was his _wife_ , Ahsoka. What makes you think you have a better chance than the both of us?” Obi-Wan asked. He didn’t mean to sound harsh, but Ahsoka flinched back at the hard words anyways.

“I just- he was new to the Dark Side. It might just have been too early. He may have just been too overwhelmed by its power. Maybe now _I_ will have a better chance,” Ahsoka said. It was said with much doubt and Obi-Wan knew he’d hurt Ahsoka’s confidence and hope with his previous statement. But he had to be clear; under no circumstances would Ahsoka be able to succeed in turning Anakin back to the light. And under no circumstances should she try.

“I think that’s not at all how it works, Ahsoka. The longer someone is corrupted by the Dark Side, the _harder_ it would be to turn them to the Light, if it’s even possible at all. I’m sorry, I really am. I want to believe in your theory, but I don’t think I can,” Obi-Wan said.

“What harm could it do for me to find out? I could try and if I’m right, the Empire will have lost one of their biggest assets and the rebellion will have gained a major one. Please, Obi-Wan. What could go wrong with me trying?” Ahsoka pleaded.

“Everything!” Obi-Wan snapped. He wasn’t prone to losing his patience, so again Ahsoka flinched back. She must’ve really hit a nerve within him. “We could lose you Ahsoka. _I_ could lose you too, just like I lost Anakin. And I can’t go through the process of losing someone to the Dark Side again. You’re one of the biggest assets the rebellion has. If you were to Fall…” He couldn’t even finish his own sentence. He didn’t dare think about it.

“You think I could turn to the Dark Side?” Ahsoka asked, obviously hurt. “I’ve never given you any indication that I’m tempted by the dark. I’m stronger than that,” she stated firmly.

“Are you?” Obi-Wan asked. “If I remember correctly you contacted me some time ago with a problem with ‘darkness’. Or did I just dream that entire conversation?” he said cynically.

Ahsoka turned away. “You know what, Obi-Wan? I don’t know why I came here. This was obviously a stupid idea! I thought you of all people would understand and share the hope I have for Anakin. You were his closest friend! But I guess I was wrong. You’re just too stuck up on your old Jedi beliefs. Sorry for wasting your time _Master_ ,” Ahsoka snarled before stalking off, leaving Obi-Wan on his own at the edge of the Dune Sea. He just watched her go, having no idea if he’d see her again soon. Not long after that, he turned to go back to his own house.

* * *

Ahsoka stalked through the desert, fuming. How dare he just attempt to crush her hopes like that?! Wasn’t that just exactly what they should have right now? A little hope? He’d said so himself in his beacon to all Jedi that one day hope would come! He was being a hypocrite. And to say she could be turned to the Dark Side?! Obi-Wan was really just out to get her today, wasn’t he?

It felt like Ahsoka had been walking for hours before crashing down in the sand. She was crying again. She could just punch herself for it. Never in her life had Ahsoka cried this much. Jedi were supposed to be in control of their emotions. Then again, Ahsoka had strayed quite far from the original Jedi way. Maybe she was just never meant to be an actual Jedi, just like Anakin. They were just too different from the Order’s ‘standard’.

Ahsoka sat there, crying and thinking until her tears ran out. She’d reached a decision. She would fight for Anakin. Everyone else’s opinions be damned. She would just have to do it alone. That was fine. She’d been on her own for over 5 years. She was perfectly capable.

Ahsoka got up and started walking again.

* * *

The decision to go back to Alderaan or Obi-Wan had been a hard one, but in the end, she decided that she didn’t want to leave like this. He was the only thing she had left of the Jedi she once associated with. And he was the only one she knew that still had an understanding of the Force. She shouldn’t give that up so easily.

If this was to be the last time Ahsoka would see Obi-Wan, then she did not want to leave without making things right between them.

And so Ahsoka walked back to his home – which took _way_ too long. She just had to walk all that way into the desert, didn’t she?

But finally, she’d made it back. She could see Obi-Wan sitting outside. He looked to be deep in meditation. Ahsoka approached cautiously. She didn’t want to pull him out of his concentration. But suddenly he opened his eyes.

“Ahsoka. You’re back,” was all he said, carefully monotone, hiding any emotions he might feel about her after the fight. Ahsoka had no idea what to make of it.

“Yes, I couldn’t leave like this. It wasn’t fair of me, putting my hopes on you like that. You obviously have a whole different experience regarding Anakin than I do. I should’ve thought of that. I just-“ Ahsoka didn’t get to finish her sentence. Obi-Wan cut her off.

“Don’t, Ahsoka. I should be the one apologizing to you. I was too hard on you when all you did was have hope. I should’ve let you have that small sliver of hope. It’s a good thing to have. It helps us focus and fight. But I must ask you not to give in to the urge to actually go try to save him. I meant it when I said I can’t to lose you. And not just me. The rebellion you’re fighting for needs you as well. Think about it,” Obi-Wan said. He gave Ahsoka a small smile.

Ahsoka didn’t say anything back but did smile at him.

Her smile was enough for Obi-Wan.

Ahsoka was ready to forget about her fight with Obi-Wan all together and decided to change the subject. “I don’t have to leave just yet. They gave me a few days for myself,” she said. “You want to spar with me? You seem like you haven’t trained in years and I could use a Jedi’s teachings right now.”

That did make Obi-Wan’s smile even brighter. “Of course, Ahsoka. But I won’t go easy on you,” he said.

Ahsoka smirked. “As if you could actually beat me. I’m the only one who’s seen any fighting action in recent years. Lightsaber or not.” She was bluffing, of course. Obi-Wan wasn’t a Jedi Master for nothing.

“We’ll see, Ahsoka. We’ll see,” Obi-Wan said as he activated his lightsaber, which in turn had her igniting her own dual sabers. Ahsoka charged at him first, and so their sparring session began.

* * *

Ahsoka spent two days in Obi-Wan’s company. They agreed to completely forget about the past, present, and future and just focus on the Force. They trained a lot together. He taught her new things about the Force. Things she would’ve only learned if she’d ever reached the rank of Knight or even Master within the Jedi Order. Obi-Wan thought she should know these things, since there were no Knights or Masters left to pass the knowledge to.

For Ahsoka it truly were two special days.

But now it was time to leave. Ahsoka had things to prepare for, plans to work out, a special Star Destroyer to track and a Sith Lord to find. All while not saying anything to anyone.

She said her goodbye to Obi-Wan. It was bittersweet for Ahsoka. She didn’t know when she would be able to see or speak with him again. If she would ever again be able to at all. 

Ahsoka got in her ship and took off. Back to Alderaan to prepare for a new mission. a mission of which she didn’t have the details yet. But she would figure them out soon enough.

* * *

Ahsoka arrived at Alderaan after a little while and got permission to land in the hanger. She left the shuttle there for other crew to take care of. It wasn’t her concern anymore.

Ahsoka checked in with Bail and Lorey, who were both glad to have her back after her short break, but Ahsoka knew it wouldn’t last long. Her plan was to leave again soon. She didn’t linger with the two of them long before moving to search for a certain droid she was currently in need of service of.

* * *

R2-D2 was rolling around a hall on his way to the hanger when he got stopped by a certain Togruta.

“Artoo, there you are!” Ahsoka said. “I was looking for you. I need your help. Want to help me out?” she asked.

Artoo beeped excitedly. He rarely got to work with Ahsoka, so he was always happy to help one of his oldest friends.

Finding out Artoo was on Alderaan had been a shock to Ahsoka, but a welcome revelation. Catching Threepio and Artoo in the private quarters of the royal family one day had not been what Ahsoka was expecting when she’d joined the Alderaan rebels. Learning Threepio’s memory had been wiped was a bummer – though probably for the best. He could never keep his mouth shut – but Artoo seemed perfectly fine.

Ahsoka’s binary was adequate enough so she could have a conversation with the little astromech. She made sure to catch up with him for at least a minute after every mission. She’d also asked him if he was aware of what had happened to Anakin. Artoo confirmed he knew of the horrible things Anakin did the last day he saw him, but he did not want to talk about it. It was too painful for the little astromech. Ahsoka accepted that. She could understand.

But now Ahsoka needed Artoo for a very special mission. She led him to her chambers and explained what he had to do.

“Alright Artoo, I need you to do something for me, but it’s a secret okay? Not even the Organa’s can know, alright?”

Artoo gave a few confirming beeps so Ahsoka continued. “I need to send two Holo messages. And I want to record them on you. Two days after I’ll leave, I need you to send and show them to the people I tell you. Can you do that?” she asked.

Again, the confirming beeps. Ahsoka smiled.

“Good, then let’s record some messages, shall we?” she asked.

Artoo started his recorder and Ahsoka spoke up.

“Hello Obi-Wan…” she started before continuing with the rest of the information she shared in the Holo, that would all soon be revealed.


	22. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka starts her next mission.

Ahsoka had been preparing for her departure since last night with the help of R2-D2. The entire day Ahsoka had been working and the sun had already started to set. She had searched for the nearest Imperial communications outpost using Rebel intelligence reports. She knew where to look for that kind of information. That would be her first stop.

Ahsoka hadn’t meant to leave right this moment – although she was fully prepared for it. She’d been preparing since leaving Tatooine, after all – but then she got the news from Artoo that Bail would be leaving for Coruscant – no she would not be referring to it as Imperial Center – this evening. She had to ask him for permission for this personal mission first. She didn’t necessarily need to but leaving without it would tip them off and they would search for her immediately. It would work better for Ahsoka if they let her be for a few days. At least until Bail and Obi-Wan would receive her Holo messages.

The idea of asking another commander had crossed Ahsoka’s mind, but that wouldn’t work. Given the fact that Ahsoka would write this off as a Jedi mission, she needed someone to understand what that meant and the importance of it. She also wanted to do it alone and Bail was the only person she was sure of that would let her.

Racing through the hallways, Ahsoka rushed to catch up with Bail before his departure. She caught him in his office, gathering some last few things that he needed on Coruscant. Ahsoka startled him on her way in.

“Oh Ahsoka. I didn’t know you would be coming. I don’t have much time left, but what can I do for you?” he asked. He was just always so considerate.

“Well Sir, you know I’ve visited Ben the last few days. I wasn’t planning on telling you about this so soon, but I heard you were leaving so I had to. I will spare you the mysterious details, but it’s about the Force and the Jedi. Ben asked me to investigate something. And I would like to do that. With your permission of course,” Ahsoka said.

Bail stared at her. “A solo mission?” he asked.

Ahsoka nodded. “I would want to take the team, but they wouldn’t be of any help and it would only take them away from other important things. Please Bail. I really need to do this,” she pleaded. She didn’t want to sound desperate, but no one knew the true importance this mission had.

“Of course you can go Ahsoka. Who am I to keep you from anything related to the Jedi. If this is something you have to do, then I won’t stop you. Especially if Ben asked this of you. Please do inform your team yourself. I really don’t have the time. I wish you good luck and I hope you will be successful in your mission. Goodbye Ahsoka,” Bail said as he packed his things up and started to walk out. Ahsoka followed him.

“Thank you, Sir. Goodbye and good luck on Coruscant,” she said before turning the other way. She had one last goodbye to say before moving to her team.

* * *

Ahsoka reached the private royal quarters soon enough and chimed the door. After identifying herself Breha opened it.

“Hello Breha. Sorry to just drop by, but I’m leaving for a mission and I wanted to say goodbye to Leia, if that’s okay,” Ahsoka said formally.

Breha looked at her skeptically. Ahsoka had never made a point of this before, but she wouldn’t openly question it. Bail had said something had happened to Ahsoka on her last mission that shocked the Togruta girl greatly. That was probably the reason behind this. The queen stepped aside the let the former Jedi inside.

Ahsoka immediately made her way over to Leia’s room. The girl was already getting ready for bed. When Ahsoka entered the room, Leia was oblivious. “Mommy? Time for my story now?” she asked, but when she turned, she saw it wasn’t her mother but rather Ahsoka that now stood in the middle of her room. “Ahsoka!” she said excitedly. She hadn’t seen her in over a week. Leia was so glad she was back.

“Hi there Leia. Sorry to just barge in, but I wanted to talk to you,” Ahsoka said as she crouched down to accept the hug Leia was going to give her. It was probably one of the last she was ever going to get.

Leia picked up on the heavy tone that was evident in Ahsoka’s voice. The little girl was perceptive like that. “What’s wrong, Ahsoka?” she asked. She sounded almost like an adult.

Ahsoka smiled at Leia. “Nothing’s wrong Princess. It’s just… I have to leave again, Leia. And I don’t know when I’ll see you again. You have to promise me you’ll be good for your mommy and daddy, okay? And that you’ll do your best with keeping others from getting in your head with their powers, alright? Remember how I taught you that with the animals?” she asked.

Leia nodded gravely, but the words didn’t quite reach her yet. Ahsoka was leaving again? But she had promised she would teach her new things! “You can’t leave ‘Soka! You said would play with me! Teach me! Don’t go!” Leia said harder.

It hurt Ahsoka greatly, but she couldn’t stay because of Leia. If this all went according to plan she would return to the girl, with a father and a brother to accompany her.

“I can’t stay Leia. What I’m about to do will be dangerous. I need you to be a big girl now, Princess. Protect mommy and daddy and yourself. I will do everything I can to come back to you and teach you everything I know about your powers, alright?” Ahsoka said.

Leia didn’t take it well. Tears started forming in her eyes. “Why are you leaving?” the six-year-old asked.

“I have to save someone important, but I don’t know yet if I can. I’m sorry Leia,” Ahsoka said. She pulled back from the little girl and got up. Leia wasn’t having it. She started hanging on Ahsoka’s legs.

It wouldn’t take much more for Ahsoka to be unable to leave because of Leia. Over the last year she had definitely grown attached to her former master’s daughter. She went here partially to protect the little girl. She had to tell herself it would help Leia in the long run. She would bring her real father back into her life. It would all be worth it. But she had to leave Leia now.

“Let go, Leia. It will be okay,” Ahsoka said, coaxing Leia to let her leave. It was no use. Ahsoka reached out with the Force to undo the little girl’s arms and push her back carefully.

Leia started crying harder. Ahsoka knew it wasn’t just because of the fact that she was leaving. She knew fully well that she was projecting a sense of finality through the Force which Leia was picking up on. But she couldn’t reign it in. Ahsoka was actually really scared of the mission she was about to start. And because of the fact that she couldn’t show it on her face, she showed it in the Force.

Ahsoka started walking out of the room, keeping a hysterical Leia back with the Force before the door closed behind her. Outside the princess’ room she came face to face with Breha. It was obvious the queen had heard the conversation.

“Will we see you again, Ahsoka?” the queen asked.

Ahsoka couldn’t bring herself to lie. “I don’t know. I’ll do my best. I’m sorry to leave you with a crying Leia,” she said before walking off. The feeling of despair was too much for her.

* * *

Ahsoka picked up her things and said goodbye to Artoo. The little droid was saddened to see her leave as well, but he understood her hope in bringing his old master back and hoped along with her.

After that Ahsoka moved to go find Lorey, who conveniently was at the hanger. Would save Ahsoka some time, for sure.

She approached the girl once she reached the hanger. Lorey looked up at hearing Ahsoka approach. She noted the little belongings the Togruta carried only secondly.

“You’re leaving,” Lorey stated simply. It was a simple observation.

Ahsoka nodded. “I have a mission. It’s Jedi related. I will be doing it alone. I came to say goodbye,” she said.

Lorey stared at her. “Jedi related. It has nothing to do with the recent revelation you laid on me several days ago?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Ahsoka shook her head. “I would love to explain it, but I can’t. It has something to do with the Force. It’s important for me to see this through. And I won’t pull any of you into this. I don’t know when I’ll return. You’re going to have to do things without me once again,” she said.

Lorey wasn’t Force sensitive, but she _did_ pick up on the finality in Ahsoka’s voice. The other girl wasn’t coming back. At least not anytime soon. It saddened Lorey greatly to have to miss Ahsoka. They’d become quite great friends over the past year.

“I guess I understand. I am sad to see you go, though. Please come back soon. And in one piece preferably,” Lorey said.

Ahsoka smiled at that, but it wasn’t quite genuine. She didn’t even know if she would be able to come back at all. Maybe she would be imprisoned, or tortured. She might even die or… she might even Fall-

No, Ahsoka didn’t want to think about that.

“I will do my best; you can count on it. Goodbye Lorey, and good luck on your next missions. I’m sure you’ll do great, even if you have to miss your best asset,” Ahsoka said as she smirked.

Lorey rolled her eyes, but still smiled. “You too, Ahsoka. May the Force be with you, or whatever you Jedi always say,” she said as she stepped forward and took the Togruta in a hug, which Ahsoka returned in kind.

“May the Force be with you too, Lorey. Until we meet again,” Ahsoka said as the two friends pulled apart. She gave Lorey one last small smile before turning around and walking away, not looking back. She couldn’t. It wasn’t that Ahsoka actively tried to read Lorey’s mind, but it was obvious that the other girl didn’t buy her explanation for a second. Before long Lorey would know what Ahsoka was up to and would hate her. She wasn’t looking forward to that day.

* * *

Lorey, meanwhile, stared after her friend. Ahsoka’s impression was correct. Lorey did have a suspicion that she was lying. She knew that Ahsoka wasn’t going on some Jedi mission. She was going on a personal quest. And she was about 99% sure it had something to do with Vader – who was Anakin Skywalker, hero of the Republic. Wow. The extent of his involvement was unknown to Lorey, but she just hoped her friend would be safe. She could only pray to some unknown force out there that Ahsoka was not in fact stupid enough to take Vader up on his recent offer, which still haunted Lorey every day.

Lorey wanted to believe that Ahsoka would never do such a thing, but deep down she knew that she could never be sure. Ahsoka had lost everything and she had been detached ever since they returned from Onderon. First, the other girl just straight up left to take some personal time – which is fine, but not without any notice of where she would be going and how long she would be gone – and then she keeps herself holed up in her chambers with some droid, only just to suddenly leave after that.

To anyone else it might just look like Ahsoka was dealing with facing the one responsible for the destruction of the Jedi Order, but with the added information Lorey now had she didn’t believe it. She had the suspicion that Ahsoka was leaning towards returning to the only thing that she knew from that life, and it scared the hell out of Lorey to think about it.

Sighing, Lorey watched as Ahsoka entered a small fighter without a second glance and took off. She silently returned to her duties. With a little hope, she’d find out soon enough what Ahsoka was up to and that it would be good news…

* * *

Ahsoka seated herself in the small fighter – equipped with a hyperdrive, which was a necessity – and started up the engine. She lifted the fighter in the air and took off. She programmed the navicomputer for her jump to the remote moon housing the communications outpost she was looking for. She was lucky to be having the coordinates because there was no name for the moon that housed her destination, which would’ve made searching for it almost impossible.

From what little information Ahsoka could find about this particular moon in the Mid-Rim, she knew it was fairly green. Almost all of the surface was covered in one big forest. She already had a plan for getting herself on the surface without raising suspicion. Having the entire moon covered in trees would certainly help with that.

Ahsoka looked down towards Alderaan one last time. A voice in her mind – that sounded way too much like Obi-Wan – told her she could still go back. It wasn’t too late for her to steer the ship around and back towards the planet to continue doing what was ‘safe’ and predictable. But Ahsoka didn’t listen to it. She was going through with this. If she didn’t, then who would?

Turning her gaze away from the planet beneath her, Ahsoka activated the hyperdrive and jumped to lightspeed, leaving Alderaan and all its people behind for the unforeseeable future. She at least hoped she would be able to come back here someday. Hopefully to tell them she’d succeeded.

* * *

Ahsoka’s flight didn’t take long. Before long, her navicomputer told her she was at her destination. She gripped the controls tightly, ready to fully engage all thrusters once she exited hyperspace.

You see, Ahsoka plan was to crash her fighter into the moon. Sounds stupid, right? But she had it all thought out. She would guide her fighter to the surface and before it could hit the ground, she would escape the doomed fighter. Ahsoka would then hide within the trees for the reconnaissance party the outpost would certainly send out. They would determine the pilot was dead. Meanwhile, Ahsoka would sneak up to the communications center and get the information needed before stealing one of their shuttles and getting the hell out of there. It was a truly masterful plan.

No, just kidding. Ahsoka knew it was probably terrible, but it was the best she could come up with considering the limited resources she had. Sneaking onto the moon would be impossible in this fighter. It had no cloaking capabilities whatsoever. She would be spotted before she’d even set down on the moon itself. No, crashing it was the better option.

That’s how Ahsoka found herself steering her fighter down towards the moon at top speed once it exited hyperspace. The moment it got caught in its gravitational pull, her descent became even faster. She let go of the controls and braced herself to eject.

Ahsoka waited and waited. Any sane person would not still be in the fighter, but Ahsoka used the Force to wait as long as she could. And then, with only a hundred meters to go until the fighter would reach the highest trees, did she force open the canopy and jumped out.

Breaking her fall on a nearby tree branch – and did that strain her muscles quite the wrong way. That was going to be sore later on – Ahsoka looked down at the fighter. Now completely destroyed and in flames. She’d barely been able to stay clear of the erupting fireball once it hit the trees and then the ground. All the fuel still left in the fighter exploding with the flames.

Ahsoka was sure that the outpost’s sensors had already picked the crash up on their scanners. Now it was just a question of waiting for the first people to show up.

Ahsoka waited patiently on the branch, hidden within the trees. As stupid as her plan was, she _would_ pull it off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just had to let Ahsoka crash a ship on purpose, in honor of Anakin. It just felt right.
> 
> Btw, quick update: The last two weeks I've had so very little time to write. I've burned through all the chapters I've written so far with this one. I will do everything in my power to get back on track again this week, but I can't promise anything. With that in mind, there might be a chance the update will come later in the week, next week. I will do my best to get it to you on wednesday (and I'm 90% sure I'll make it) but I still want to let you know so you won't be surprised if it does not come on wednesday.


	23. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka breaks in to an Imperial communications center

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made it! I wrote two chapters this week. One on Monday, and one today. I did not have much time to really edit it, tho. Normally I edit at least three times. This week I only had time for one. But whatever. Who even edits anyway :/

Ahsoka sat there, crouched on the branch for several minutes before hearing the first sounds coming from afar.

Speeders.

They were coming. And Ahsoka would be ready. She looked around several times to see if there weren’t any probes that they sent ahead. It would suck to be caught by one of those right now.

To her relief, Ahsoka found that there were currently none in sight. She waited for the speeders to get closer before getting ready to move. Within seconds 5 speeders entered her line of vision – which, given the overgrowth, meant they were right on top of the crashed fighter.

Ahsoka scanned them quickly, counting four troopers. They started inspecting the crash right away.

One released a probe. And that would be Ahsoka’s que to leave. Sooner or later they would find out that the pilot of the crash had in fact survived. It would be better for her if she were at the base when that happened.

Ahsoka headed west, where the speeders came from. She leapt from one branch to the other, being thankful for the density of the forest. Her lithe form could easily maneuver through the trees without branches breaking or sounds being made.

Putting quite some distance between herself and the crash site, Ahsoka slowly guided herself back down towards the ground. Making barely a sound as she landed. She looked behind her for any sign of the probe but found none. She listened intently to hear if one was nearby, but again found nothing.

It struck her as a little odd, the fact that there were no security measures around this part, but who was Ahsoka to complain. She just had to be on guard.

Ahsoka broke out in a sprint and made for the base.

* * *

In the end it wasn’t all that hard to find. Togrutas were natural hunters, which made Ahsoka a talented tracker. Signs of patrols weren’t that hard to find, as it was easy to leave a trail on the forest floor. All Ahsoka had to do was to follow it.

Ahsoka had to give the Empire credit. They’d build the base as inconspicuous as possible. The building was one story – above ground level, of course. What was below was still a mystery – which made that it didn’t reach over the treetops. From afar it was impossible to spot.

Ahsoka now also guessed why they didn’t have many probes around. This base was obviously meant to be kept a secret as much as possible and relied on stealth instead of hordes of security. She could understand that way of thinking but given the fact that they housed almost every bit of communication going around in the Empire she didn’t know if ‘almost no security’ was the best way to go.

Again, Ahsoka would never complain. She had to break in, after all. The less security, the better.

After doing a quick sweep around the base from within the tree line to look for security HoloCams and scanners and such, Ahsoka hid behind a tree and waited for the next patrol to pass. That would give her a window. It took about 5 minutes, but then two stormtroopers came into view. If she listened carefully, she could hear them talking.

“-Heard about that ship that crashed a few kilometers away?” one asked.

The other nodded. “Yeah, I heard they send a team to investigate. Guess we’ll hear something later,” he said.

“Should we up our patrol frequency?” the first one asked. They both stopped walking and stared at each other. At least, Ahsoka thought they did. It was hard to see with those buckets on their heads.

One second and “nah,” was heard, before they started laughing and continued walking. Ahsoka wanted to facepalm. How were these men so stupid? Whatever, it didn’t matter. She was the one who had to break in at their expense.

Once they rounded the corner, effectively blocking them from her sight, Ahsoka made her move. She reached out with the Force and crushed the HoloCam closest to her. She immediately hid back behind the tree.

If Ahsoka’s calculations were correct, security would pick up on the broken security cam and would send one of the two guards at the side door to inspect. She’d picked her target carefully. The side door was the easiest to enter without drawing much attention. It had two guards. If all went according to plan, one would go to the security cam in a second, leaving the second alone at the door. And Ahsoka could take one stormtrooper with ease, without alerting anyone.

Ahsoka moved away from her hiding place with a visual on the HoloCam towards her target entrance, just in time to see the message come through that a cam was down. As predicted, one grumbled but stalked away around the corner.

Meanwhile, Ahsoka stayed in the blind spot of the other trooper and moved towards the wall. She snuck up behind him, only to ‘tap’ on his shoulder. The trooper turned around, startled.

“What the-“ but he got no further. Ahsoka kicked him in the head with force, knocking him against the wall and effectively knocking him out. He slumped to the floor. She turned towards the door and reached out with the Force. With some effort she found the locking mechanism and opened the door. She slipped inside and watched the door close behind her again.

Determined, Ahsoka took a few steps forward, only to stop right after.

_What now?_

That suddenly rang through her head. Ahsoka had done a lot to figure out how she was going to do this, but totally forgot that she had no idea where to go once she was inside. She cursed herself silently.

Obviously, Ahsoka had to make it to the central command room, but where would that even be? It’s not like she had the schematics of this place. She had no idea where to go.

Oh well, she was inside now. Ahsoka just had to push through. She started walking again. Keeping herself hunched over and on guard. She moved along the hallways. She encountered several groups of stormtroopers but was always just in time to hide in the next hallway over for them to pass.

Ahsoka waited for clues as to where she had to go. But just couldn’t figure it out.

* * *

10 minutes. Ahsoka had been in here for 10 minutes and she was done. She had no idea where to go, and she was not going to wander around aimlessly. Any moment now the alarm would go off because the unconscious trooper outside would have been reported. She’d thought of a quick plan: the first stormtrooper she saw, she would ‘take hostage’, give him a Force suggestion and let him lead her to the central command room.

It was a perfect plan, very well thought out. Absolutely nothing could go wrong with it.

 _It was a terrible plan._ And Ahsoka knew it. But it was just all she had right now. She could not fail. Something Master Yoda always said that fit with this situation: do or do not, there is not try. She had to go for it, or the plan would never work at all.

* * *

It took a minute or two of patiently waiting more, but then Ahsoka came across a lone stormtrooper. Which was rare, they mostly moved in groups.

Ahsoka slowly stepped out of the shadows. The trooper stopped walking and stared – probably. He raised his blaster at her.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” he asked.

Ahsoka didn’t answer his question. Instead she just raised her hand as she started to speak. “ _You will take me to the central command room. No questions asked,_ ” she said, while waving her hand in the suggesting manner that went with the mind trick.

Stormtroopers were generally weak minded, so he repeated her statement immediately. “I will take you to the central command room. No questions asked.” With that he turned around and started walking again. Ahsoka followed closely behind. If she was being escorted by a stormtrooper she was less likely to get any more questions about her business here. Though she did wrap the Force around her to make herself as invisible as possible. Better safe than sorry.

* * *

They walked, and Ahsoka memorized every hallway they passed. To her luck, they also passed the hanger. She spotted a shuttle perfect for her escape. She had to make sure she remembered the way here.

Finally, they reached their destination. It was marked by two stormtroopers guarding the door, again. The moment they spotted Ahsoka they immediately were on guard.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” one of them asked. Or, well, asked? More like demanded.

That seemed to snap the mind-tricked trooper out of his state. He turned around and raised his blaster to her. That made the other two raise their blasters in alarm as well. And at that moment the alarm went off in the base. INTRUDER ALERT it called.

Well, Ahsoka thought, took them long enough to report the unconscious trooper at the door. But right now, it didn’t matter anymore. She was where she wanted to be. Her stealthy aspect of the mission could be dropped. By the time reinforcements would arrive to the central command room, she would be long gone.

It would bring no harm now in revealing herself as a Force user at this moment, either. The Empire would try to find her, sure. But she was going to find them first, anyway. All part of the plan.

Because of this fact, Ahsoka pulled her lightsabers from under a hidden layer of fabric at her hips and activated them. That gave the stormtroopers enough reasons to shoot at her, but she didn’t mind. She deflected the shots easily. Every single shot hit the wall. She then used the Force to push two of them against the other wall, hard enough to knock them out. It was certainly her go-to trick today. She heard them grunt before they slumped down, unconscious.

The one stormtrooper that was left kept shooting. Ahsoka lashed out with her saber and cut the blaster in half, effectively stopping any shots. With a flick of her wrist, she threw him up against the ceiling and let him fall back down. With that the sound of fighting completely died down. Ahsoka sheathed her lightsabers, picked up a blaster, and turned to the door.

* * *

The officers in the room had certainly heard the commotion outside their main door. They stayed rooted at their spots in front of their HoloScreens, eyes at the door. When the sounds died down, nobody dared to move.

Then the door chimed.

The officers all stared at each other. It was protocol to first chime before entering. Could it be one of theirs? Or was it the intruder? They really had no way of knowing. The HoloCam in the hallway appeared to be dead. Must’ve been hit by one of the blasts they heard.

Their captain eventually decided. “Come in,” he said.

The door slowly opened, revealing a young-adult Togruta woman holding a blaster. She was not one of theirs. Before any of them could even reach their small on-hand blasters, she’d already used hers to shoot out the lights.

It suddenly became dark in the room, with only some eerie blue and red lights coming from the few HoloScreens that were currently on. The shadow of the woman seemed to drop the blaster. The sound it made once it reached the floor echoed through the room. Everyone slowly put their hands on their blasters. Some holding her at gunpoint already.

The Togruta woman appeared to remain completely calm. It unnerved most of the officers inside. What was she planning? They saw her move but couldn’t pinpoint what she was doing.

That is, until the room was lighted in a whole different blue. Blasters were suddenly raised high and panic shot through every single person in the room, except the Togruta herself.

Lightsabers. The woman had lightsabers. Two! It was a Jedi! They had a Jedi in their command center!

They would not get out of here alive.

Without much more doubt, they all started firing.

* * *

Ahsoka had picked up on their panic, and she was confident she was the only one way too calm to be in this situation. Bringing her lightsabers up in defensive position, she moved through the room. These small defensive blaster thingies the officers carried didn’t do all that much damage and were easy to deflect.

Using the Force, Ahsoka threw several of them against each other. They stumbled. Ahsoka moved behind them to use them as temporary shield. She reached out with the Force across the room and…

“ _sleep._ ”

The command rang through the air, and one by one the men and women started to sway and collapsed. Within a minute, Ahsoka stood alone in the room, among twenty sleeping Imperial officers. She deactivated her lightsabers and stepped over their sleeping forms up to the main HoloScreen.

Time to find Anakin.

Ahsoka used a security code on the badge of a fallen officer to get in and scanned the logs. And oh man… this was going to take a little while. There was so much information. The Empire had so many ships currently on log in space. Big and small. Ahsoka had no idea what she was even looking for through all this.

Oh, if only she’d taken Artoo with her. He would’ve found the right information within a minute. Two, tops. Alas, Ahsoka was alone. And she had to figure this out on her own, as well.

Ahsoka silently cursed herself for not better understanding data and slicing. She was an excellent combatant and a great mechanic. But she lacked the proper skills in retrieving data.

Ahsoka read through it as fast as she could, but it was taking up too much time. There had to be a faster way to do this. Someway she could search for certain keywords.

Searching the screen, Ahsoka found a small rectangular space in a corner. It must be some kind of search bar. She typed in Vader’s name. Rows of information came up. Logically, it should be in chronological order, so Ahsoka looked at the top.

_ISD Devastator, command: Darth Vader. Objective: insurgents. Location: Ryloth. Estimated time of arrival: three days._

Three days. Ahsoka checked when the report was filed. A day ago. That meant that he would be arriving in two days. Ahsoka would be there before that. She would wait for him.

Ahsoka cleared the HoloScreen and walked back towards the door, again stepping over sleeping forms. But before she stepped out of the room, she turned back. She reached out with the Force and triggered the button for the alarm. That would attract attention towards the central command room. It would make all troopers hurry there, clearing a path for her towards the hanger.

Ahsoka confidently stepped out of the room and wrapped the Force around her, displaying a ‘nothing to see here’ message to all that passed her, just like when she walked the hallways towards the command center with that one stormtrooper. It wasn’t hard, given the fact that stormtroopers weren’t known to be strongminded and they were in a hurry. She was confident anyone would just pass her by.

She was proven right. Nobody noticed Ahsoka on her way to the hanger. Ahsoka walked along the small row of ships up until the very last one. It was the one she’d spotted when she walked past here with the stormtrooper. It appeared to be one of the higher up’s that must be here on base.

Oh well, he or she would just have to do without it for the foreseeable future. Ahsoka was sure the Empire would replace this one before long. She walked inside and checked for any trackers – again this would be much easier if she had Artoo with her.

Ahsoka could do it herself, of course. She was a mechanic after all, but Artoo was just faster. She checked the panels in the cockpit and found a small tracker hidden under a small console at the back of the steering panel. She pulled it out and stepped on it, effectively putting a stop to any future transmissions.

Initiating the startup sequence, Ahsoka made herself familiar with the controls. Before long she was in the air, speeding off towards the vacuum of space.

Next stop on this mission: Ryloth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, thank you for subscribing, thank you for the kudos and thank you for commenting! You have no idea how happy those notifs make me.
> 
> <3


	24. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka arrives on Ryloth. She meets a new friend.

It had taken a flight of about six hours, but finally Ahsoka came out of hyperspace above the planet of Ryloth. According to the information she’d acquired, she still had about a day and a half before Vader would arrive. During her flight she’d debated what to do with that time.

Ahsoka had come to the conclusion rather quickly that it wasn’t even something to think about. She would try to help the Free Ryloth movement prepare for Vader’s arrival, as best as she could with this timeframe. If they wanted her to, that is.

Yes, Ahsoka had heard of them. The Free Ryloth movement was hard to miss after what had happened last year. The failed attempt on the Emperor’s life had not gone unnoticed to Ahsoka’s rebel cell. It was with this in mind that she found it strange that Vader was only returning _now_ to deal with them once again. Given his current nature in handling these types of actions, they should’ve been dead by now – not that she would complain. An enemy of the Empire was a friend of hers.

Then again, Ahsoka also knew that they were almost untraceable. They would crawl underground, literally, and be gone. Keeping that in mind, Ahsoka wasn’t planning on finding them. They would find her.

Ahsoka directed her shuttle towards the vast plains of the Tann Province. To her knowledge, that’s where they should be located. It was at least worth a shot and a better idea than landing in the Empire occupied cities.

The idea was that they would notice an Imperial shuttle in the middle of the desert and certainly come check it out. At least, that was what Ahsoka hoped. She had no idea how they really operated. She knew Master Windu once worked with them during the Clone Wars, but that was all.

Oh well. Nothing like just winging it, right?

Ahsoka approached the plains and set the shuttle down on the ground. She looked around through the viewport. Everywhere around here were Twi’lek residences. From what she knew about Twi’leks, whole clans lived in those. That would mean someone would sure notice her.

It took about 15 minutes before Ahsoka was approached, but it wasn’t what she was expecting. She was approached by a droid. To be more specific, it was an old astromech. A C1 series if she was correct. Ahsoka stared at it, and if she didn’t know better, she would say it stared right back at her.

Neither droid nor Togruta said a thing. Ahsoka was the first to break the silence. “So, you’re here to check me out? See if I am not a danger to your people, or…?” she started, trailing off. Again, the droid remained silent. She was seriously doubting if it was still operational enough to let out anything binary. He honestly looked like he would fall apart any second now.

“I’m not Imperial, if that’s what you’re wondering. I stole this,” Ahsoka said, pointing behind her to the shuttle. “I’m looking for Cham Syndulla. I have some news for him he would want to hear.”

At this the astromech slowly rolled away from her to the front of the ship. That’s where the welcome party must be waiting for her. And finally, the astromech spoke. Or, well… you know-

And Ahsoka was going to pretend she did not speak binary, right now. Because she would not be called _that_!

But the astromech didn’t only insult her, he also drew someone out. And again, it was totally not what Ahsoka was expecting.

It was a teenage Twi’lek girl. She was jade-colored and had markings on her lekku. Ahsoka guessed she had to be around 16. What was she doing out here, checking out a potential threat? Didn’t this girl know how dangerous this situation could be? Ahsoka could be her enemy. Lucky for her, she wasn’t.

“Who are you?” the girl asked, staring intently at Ahsoka.

“I could ask you the same thing. You weren’t who I was expecting,” Ahsoka said back.

“You came to my planet. I have the right to ask first,” was the retort. And well, Ahsoka thought, this girl certainly has the wit and determination to approach a possible hostile situation like this one.

Ahsoka conceded. She was 90% sure this girl wasn’t an Imperial. She could trust her with her information. Maybe she even knows where Cham Syndulla was. “My name is Ahsoka Tano. I’m a rebel, insurgent, freedom fighter, whatever you want to call it. I have some urgent news for Cham Syndulla regarding the safety of his Free Ryloth movement. Everyone here is in danger.”

The Twi’lek girl stared skeptically at Ahsoka. The droid said something – man he was rude – and the girl nodded. “Why should I believe you?” she asked.

Ahsoka reached behind a patch on her hip to retrieve one of her lightsabers. She held it out to the girl for her to take. “Because I used to be a Jedi,” she said, while assessing the girl’s reaction.

The Twi’lek’s eyes widened as she stared at the lightsaber. Ahsoka nudged her hand further forward, which brought the curious girl over the edge. She picked the lightsaber up and held it in her hands while looked it over, completely fascinated. “How do I know you didn’t just steal this?” she then asked.

Ahsoka reached out with the Force and pulled her lightsaber back to her hand. She activated it and spun it a few times in her grip. The girl stared, awestruck, obviously shocked at the display of the Force. “I made this lightsaber myself and trained with it for most of my life while with the Jedi Order. I have two actually, and they are completely in touch with me. I swear to you that they aren’t stolen. They wouldn’t come to me using the Force like that, if they were,” she said.

The girl just nodded. She would not argue with Ahsoka. The droid beeped again. He was certainly a lot less chirpy than Artoo. Ahsoka missed him. She heard him say that the girl still had to answer to Ahsoka’s question to Cham Syndulla and that she should take her to him. Again, Ahsoka pretended she hadn’t understood it. She now knew this girl knew Cham. She would wait for the girl to take her to him, or not.

The girl seemed to think it over. “My father doesn’t like Jedi very much, says they’re too much affiliated with the Republic. Which he didn’t like either. But if it’s about important news, I’m sure he’ll understand. I’ll take you to Cham Syndulla,” she said.

Ahsoka smiled at her. Together with the droid, they started walking towards one of the residences.

“So,” Ahsoka started, “you were pretty brave back there. I could’ve been a dangerous Imperial. What’s your name?”

The girl looked up. “Hera,” she said. “Hera Syndulla.”

Ahsoka had already figured it out from the previous statement about her father, but having confirmation was nice. This was his daughter and didn’t that just make a lot of sense.

The droid chirped up again. He was basically scolding Hera for giving this stranger her name. he appeared to be protective of her. Ahsoka chuckled at that. “Who’s your droid friend here, then? He seems protective of you. He also doesn’t seem to like me, from the things he’s called me,” she said.

Hera’s eyes widened. “You can understand him?” she asked.

Ahsoka nodded. “As generals and commanders, the Order used droids to help with the flying. But the real reason I learned binary was because my master had an astromech droid and he was very lively. I learned to understand him over time.”

Hera nodded along. “This little guy is Chopper. He was in a Republic Y-wing that crashed next to my home during the Clone Wars. I pulled him out and repaired him. We’ve been companions ever since. He does have his own agenda and attitude, though,” she grumbled.

Ahsoka laughed at that. “Some droids sure appear to be good at that. And it’s quite impressive, repairing an astromech after a crash. Are you a mechanic?” she asked.

Hera shook her head. “No, I can find my way around, though. I mostly learned from ships. You see, I want to be the best pilot in the galaxy,” she said proudly.

Ahsoka smiled at that. “I’m sure you can make it.” She paused, “hey, if you want, I can help do some upgrades on Chopper’s systems. I am kind of a part time mechanic.”

A smile spread across Hera’s face. “I would like that. And I’m sure he would too. We’re here, by the way,” she finished, and they both stopped in front of one of the residences. Ahsoka had to admit that this was very much hiding in plain sight, and that it seemed to work.

“He should be in his office. I lead you there.” Hera said. The both of them entered the residence. It was like this small city. It looked beautiful inside. Everything was decorated. Definitely not what Ahsoka was used to. She stared at everything while blindly following Hera.

They stopped in front of two doors. Hera knocked on them three times before stepping inside. “Father,” she started, sounding insecure all of a sudden. “there’s so-“ she was never allowed to finish her sentence.

“Not now Hera, we’re discussing strategy. If it’s important, you can come back later,” the voice of a man spoke out from beyond the door.

“But father, it is important. Someone’s here to-“

“I said, not now Hera,” he said again.

Ahsoka couldn’t take this. She stepped forward through the door, then came to a stop. She stood tall and surveyed the room. There were three Twi’lek males in the room. Ahsoka assumed the one sitting at the desk was Cham.

“General Syndulla,” she started with authority, “my name is Ahsoka Tano, former Jedi and current rebel fighter against the Empire. I’m here with an urgent warning. They’re coming for you.”

Everyone in the room stared at her, including Hera, who had not yet left.

“If that’s news, then I don’t know what kind of rock you’ve lived under. They’ve been coming for me constantly. Now, I must ask you to leave. We were planning something, and I don’t want an outsider to be involved. Especially a Jedi,” Cham said.

“With all due respect, General Syndulla, but this is not just some troopers. I’ve been tracking Darth Vader. His trail led me here. Vader’s coming, General. And he’s coming for you. I know for a fact that if you’re caught by surprise by him, your chances of survival are slim,” Ahsoka said, her face hard. They had to understand the urgency. 

The men looked thoughtful. Hera just looked confused. “Who’s that?” she asked. At her voice, her father looked up. “Hera, I need you to leave now,” he said.

Hera looked let down but turned around anyway. Before she could completely walk out, Ahsoka stopped her. “Why don’t you go prep Chopper and come find me when you’re done. We’ll start working on him right away.”

That put a small smile on Hera’s face as she nodded and walked out. Ahsoka turned back to Cham.

“You’re telling me Vader’s coming here. A year after what happened. Unlikely. And why would a Jedi be tracking Vader? Shouldn’t you be running from him?” Cham asked, skeptically.

Why was everyone skeptical of her? It was getting old.

“I don’t know why, Sir. I only know that I just came from an Imperial communications outpost. They had ship logs. His Star Destroyer was amongst the list. He will arrive in about a day. As for why I’m keeping my tabs on him. Well, he destroyed my Order. I have a right to know what he’s up to. I have my plans for him, which do not concern you. The only thing you must know is that I’m not currently your enemy. Don’t make me one. I know you disliked the Republic, but I don’t represent that anymore. Jedi is just a name which doesn’t fit me anymore. I use the Force and I fight the Empire. That should be enough for you,” Ahsoka said fiercely.

Cham and the man to his right exchanged glances before he spoke again. “You’re sure he’s coming here? Tomorrow?”

“That, or the day after that, yes. I’m very sure,” Ahsoka stated.

“Then we thank you for your warning. We will handle this and will no longer keep you. Best wishes, Ahsoka Tano,” Cham said. Ahsoka nodded at him and walked out the door. They didn’t want her help. That’s fine. She would find other ways to spend her time here until Vader comes.

Outside the door stood Hera, already waiting for her. “So?” she asked. Ahsoka smiled. “Message delivered. Let’s hope they take it seriously. Now, where’s Chopper? I could use some good old mechanic work right about now.”

* * *

Hera led Ahsoka through several halls and into a small room. “This is my room. I keep all my stuff for Chopper in here too. I know it’s not much, but hopefully we can still do something with it,” Hera said.

Ahsoka smiled. It was more than enough to get a little work done on the droid. At least make him look better. She inspected the droid carefully. Chopper was indeed already quite old. Compared to Artoo he looked quite worse for wear. But from what she’d seen from him in the last hour, she was sure he was worth the effort. Ahsoka was glad a girl like Hera had a droid like him. Though she did wonder who used to fly with the C1 series astromech.

They both got to work. Ahsoka redid some of this wiring and brushed up some plates that looked too rusty to be comfortable on the droid. Hera was mostly arguing with Chopper, but Ahsoka didn’t mind. At least it would keep him occupied from throwing remarks at her.

“So,” Hera suddenly started, startling Ahsoka out of her work. She wasn’t expecting Hera to suddenly switch from talking to Chopper to talking to her. “You used to be a Jedi. What was it like?” Hera’s entire tone spoke of curiosity. Like she’d been wanting to ask this for a little while now but finally worked up the courage.

Ahsoka let a soft smile form on her lips. “The Jedi, well… they were certainly special. Growing up in the Temple on Coruscant was quite an experience. It can’t be compared to how you grew up here. We lived in creches. Had no parents. It was mostly training and studying. But the work was rewarding. When I finally got to go out into the Galaxy as a Padawan I was so excited. It would’ve been the best part of being a Jedi if there hadn’t been a war going on. Honestly, due to the war I have no real idea what it ever really meant to be a Jedi. I didn’t stick around long enough to find out.”

Hera looked at her, confused. “What do you mean you didn’t stick around long enough to find out?” she asked.

Ahsoka sighed. “I left the Jedi Order a year before they were wiped out. My views didn’t align with theirs any longer and I felt like I didn’t belong in what they had made themselves become.”

“Is that how you survived?” Hera asked carefully. Ahsoka turned to stare at her, face unreadable. She understood why Hera asked, but it was still harsh. But what can you really expect from a teenager? Ahsoka had been too blunt sometimes back then as well. Anakin never hesitated to point it out. Hera noticed Ahsoka’s stare and looked away shamefully. “I’m sorry,” she said.

Ahsoka shook her head. “No, it’s okay. You were only curious. But to answer your question: no. I was actually on a Republic military mission. They tried to take me out, but I got away. I guess it was just dumb luck that I survived. It certainly wasn’t for their lack of trying. I’ve been running from the Empire for over 6 years now.”

Hera looked at her with pity. “I’m sorry Ahsoka. That must’ve been awful. I can’t imagine…” It was obvious the girl had run out of things to say. Ahsoka decided to change the subject. She didn’t want pity anyways.

“So, what about you? Your father is a rebel general. Living among these freedom fighters must be dangerous,” Ahsoka said.

Hera nodded. “We do have to be constantly on guard. But we manage. The Empire hasn’t caught up with us yet,” she said.

“You’re a part of the group too? How old are you?” Ahsoka asked. She couldn’t have been wrong about Hera being a teenager, right?

“I’m 16, and yes. I am a part of his group. Because I would have no life if I weren’t,” Hera said.

“And your father is okay with that?” Ahsoka asked, shocked. At 16, she’d been an experienced Jedi padawan. Even then Anakin was reluctant to let her go on certain assignments. She couldn’t imagine a father wanting this for their daughter.

“He doesn’t really care about what I do,” Hera said, looking defeated. “After my mom and brother died, he stopped caring. The only thing he cares about is opposing the Empire. But that’s fine. I don’t really care anymore either. I’m fighting because I want to get out of this place. I told you I wanted to be the best pilot in the Galaxy. I want to leave and fly and help people.”

Ahsoka felt bad for Hera. It was obvious she still cared so much about her father, despite what she says. But her stupid teenage thoughts were blocking it. Ahsoka decided to just not comment on it and let it rest. Instead she focused on the girl’s dream to be a pilot. “So, you any good at it already?”

Hera nodded enthusiastically. “I practice every moment I can, but my last ship got destroyed by the Empire. I currently have nothing to practice on,” she finished as she sighed.

Ahsoka smirked. “I think I can change that. I have a perfectly good shuttle just sitting outside that we can damage as much as we want. Wanna take it for a spin?” she asked.

Hera grinned. “Let’s do it,” she said. She got up and pulled Chopper with her into the hallway. Ahsoka followed closely behind. This should be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a lot of work and I barely had it finished in time. I'm hoping to have more time to write next week. My summer holiday will have started then. So I'm hoping to get a few chapters written before I leave to go on vacation. But we'll see, I guess. 
> 
> Oh, and I introduced Hera, because we couldn't be on Ryloth and not meet one of the best characters in the whole Star Wars universe.


	25. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka's nerves play up for Vader to arrive.

Ahsoka had spent the entire day flying with Hera. And she had to admit, Hera was an incredibly talented pilot. The girl pulled of maneuvers that should have been impossible for barely experienced pilots. Ahsoka was confident Hera could achieve a whole lot with her pilot skills.

When the two girls had landed late in the evening, the entire clan had made it known to Ahsoka that they didn’t appreciate what she’d done with Hera. Cham was there too, and she noticed him scolding Hera for doing such a thing.

It was obvious Ahsoka wasn’t welcome with the clan and definitely not in their home. For that reason, she’d slept in her stolen shuttle.

* * *

Ahsoka woke up with first light. The first thought that crossed her mind was that today might be the day. She could get a step further in her mission today or it would all fall apart. It should scare her, but it didn’t. She was ready. To face Vader, at least. She didn’t know if she was ready to possibly meet her end today.

Getting up and walking towards the front of the shuttle, Ahsoka went ahead and checked the digital map of the planet. She’d gotten it from Chopper, which she was very grateful for. She was checking for the most likely place Vader would arrive. She had to be ready for it. If all went well, she could even stop him from attacking these rebels. That would be the best outcome.

Ahsoka stared at the map for several minutes but didn’t really become all that wiser from it. She’d singled several places out – the most likely would be its capital city – but that was all she could do at the moment. She sat back, debating what to do today. Waiting would only make the day feel longer. Going to Hera might’ve been an option if the locals hadn’t shown such hostility yesterday after she’d spent time with the girl. Ahsoka sighed. Well, guess she was on her own.

At that moment she heard commotion outside. Ahsoka looked up, confused. It was still incredibly early. What was out there? Ahsoka got up slowly and took one lightsaber off her hip, activating it. She lowered the ramp.

Only to see Hera and Chopper standing in front of it.

Ahsoka deactivated her lightsaber and placed it back inside it’s hidden spot on her hip. She stared at the two who were now walking up the ramp with a confused face. What were they doing here?

She voiced her thoughts out loud.

“Chopper and I wanted to go flying again?” Hera said sheepishly with a smile on her face.

Ahsoka couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Didn’t your father tell you that you weren’t permitted to see me again?” she asked. She then checked the chrono. “And isn’t it way too early for you to be out here anyways?”

Hera shrugged. “My father did say that, but I think he’s wrong. You’re not dangerous to us. But I didn’t think he’d understand so I used Chopper to sneak out. That’s why we’re so early. But it seems you were already awake as well. I hope you don’t mind that we’re here?” She looked at Ahsoka hopefully.

And how could Ahsoka ignore that. What Hera wanted was harmless enough. But Ahsoka was supposed to be the smart adult here. She couldn’t give in so easily.

“Do you think I would go against your father like that?” Ahsoka asked. “I don’t want to get into trouble with your people. It wouldn’t really reflect good on me now, would it?” She didn’t mention that the actions she would take today would make her an enemy of almost everyone in the Galaxy, but keeping that hidden was for the best. Nobody needed to know that.

Hera’s face fell, but the determination had not yet left her stance. “You would be helping me learning to fend for myself. My father can’t fault that. Besides, I think you could use the company. You obviously still have something to do here, since you haven’t left. So might as well spend your day with me,” Hera said confidently.

Ahsoka could just see this girl become a strong leader in the future. The Force told her Hera would do great things. Ahsoka smiled. “Alright then Hera, you’ve convinced me. Get in.”

* * *

They went into space this time. Again, Ahsoka had to admit Hera was so very skilled. She just had a natural talent for flying. They’d been flying for hours now. It was now well into the afternoon and Ahsoka was in need of some fresh air and they were running out of fuel. She asked Hera if they could touch down somewhere to refuel and go for a walk. Hera agreed. The girl had no problems showing Ahsoka some of her planet.

Hera docked the ship at one of the yards in the Capital city. Ahsoka had to admit it was a sight to see. She’d only seen it once from up above during the Clone Wars. When she and Anakin blew droid bombers out of the sky. This was a whole different view.

It was an impressive city bristling with life. Everywhere she looked she could see Twi’leks in all different colors. It made the place feel just that much more alive. Ahsoka felt widely out of place. She retrieved her hood from the shuttle and pulled it tightly around her. Hera looked at her confused. Ahsoka shrugged. “I don’t need to draw attention to myself. I know you’re fighting for your beliefs here on this planet, but that doesn’t make the Empire go away. And I won’t deny the fact that they’re already looking for me. So better be safe than sorry.”

Hera could understand that. Both girls started walking and Hera lead Ahsoka towards a market in the middle of the city. It was a beautifully colorful place. Ahsoka loved it. Hera started explaining things. How this was one of the oldest markets on the planet and how they had things from all over the Galaxy. That it was a place for Twi’leks to meet each other and what not. Chopper occasionally chimed in with a sarcastic remark that had both Ahsoka and Hera rolling their eyes but smiled nonetheless. 

The two girls and droid made their way over to the food section of the market. Because the food was something Ahsoka had to try, according to Hera. She didn’t object. She better eat enough right now anyways. Once Vader was here, she had no idea when her chance to eat again would be- no stop thinking like that! He isn’t here yet. Ahsoka had to enjoy her day with Hera. It was the last they she could do what she wanted. The last day she was truly free.

Ahsoka and Hera had ordered some food and sat down at one of the tables surrounding the stall. Chopper stationed himself beside the table. He got some odd looks, but kind of insulted everyone who did so. Ahsoka was growing fond of him. She liked his snarky attitude. She’d told Hera as much.

The food came shortly after, and Ahsoka had to admit. It was great. “You really know a great deal about all this Hera? You go out alone often?” she asked.

Hera nodded. “I’m learning to be on myself as much as possible. One day I’m going to have to,” she said.

“Why?” Ahsoka asked. “Are they going to kick you out?”

Hera shook her head. “No, but I’m not planning on staying forever. I want to find my own path.”

Ahsoka understood. It was the same thing she’d felt and done when she left the Jedi Order. “I think you should. Leave to find your own path, I mean. I think you can do great things for this Galaxy. I also think your father is holding you back. I must advice you, though. Seek someone who can help you. I left the Order at 16, with no idea where to go. Ever since that time it has been a tough few years on my own. It would be easier to find someone to spend it with.” She said with a smile. Hera nodded along.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for the advice Ahsoka, and for believing in me. That means a lot,” Hera said with a small smile. She was obviously touched.

* * *

They stayed at the table for well over an hour. They talked about all kinds of things. Work, the Galaxy and what it was like, boyfriends. That last topic had sparked an argument between Hera and Chopper. He believed Hera wouldn’t be able to split her attention between possible future partner and him. Hera tried to calm him down and reassure him. Ahsoka stared at the two in amusement. She really hoped Hera would go and do her own thing after Ahsoka was gone. She would be one of the best rebels the Galaxy would see.

Before Ahsoka could voice her thoughts, everyone was pulled out of her conversation by a terribly hard sound. An airhorn. It came from the Imperial Dome placed in the city. Ahsoka had a terrible feeling she knew what it meant. When she looked up, she could vaguely see the shape of a Star Destroyer hanging in low orbit high above the city. She spotted a shuttle on its way down. And now that she focused on it, the presence was hard to miss.

Vader had arrived.

He was earlier than Ahsoka expected.

All the people around Hera and Ahsoka started scurrying away. It must be protocol. Ahsoka got to her feet and pulled Hera along with her. She started walking, dragging the Twi’lek girl with her. She knew Chopper would follow on principal.

“Hey! What are you doing? Ahsoka-“

The Togruta cut her off. “No time to explain Hera. I need you to get to my shuttle and leave with Chopper. I don’t really care where you’re going to go, just do it,” Ahsoka demanded fiercely, going into ‘commander’ mode.

Hera wasn’t having it. “What do you mean? Where are you going?” the girl asked.

“It’s not important. The only thing that’s important is that you get away safe to warn your father. Please, Hera. This is a dangerous situation, okay?” Ahsoka said.

“Then I shouldn’t leave you alone at all. You just said today you were wanted by the Empire. Why won’t you leave with us?” Hera asked, concerned.

“It’s complicated Hera. I don’t want you to get into trouble with them. I’ll be fine. I used to be a Jedi, remember. I can take care of myself. I need you and Chopper to deliver this news to your father. Go,” Ahsoka said. With that she turned around and started running, leaving Hera behind.

Ahsoka made her way towards the city gate. She would not seek Vader’s attention while still inside the city. She did not want to cause collateral damage, and she certainly didn’t want it to be the people that walked around here.

When Ahsoka reached the city gate, she was met with stormtroopers. Of course. There were most likely here to keep any rebels from fleeing the city. Anyone that attempted to leave would be arrested, or worse. Ahsoka didn’t much care. She would be caught today anyways.

Ahsoka reached out with the Force, threw the troopers back, walking right through the gate. She crossed the bridge and once she set foot on the plains, she stopped. She turned around and closed her eyes. She reached out for her bond with Vader. She nudged it, trying to get his attention. When she felt she had it, she sent the impression of a _come and get me_ message through it.

One Ahsoka knew it was received, she sat down on the ground in a lotus position and put her lightsabers in front of her. Now she would wait. He would be here shortly.

Man, was Ahsoka nervous. She released her emotions in the Force in hopes of calming herself down. It didn’t work. The Force was too clouded with the Dark Side for her to feel comfortable. Besides, it didn’t help that Ahsoka was very much aware of one simple fact:

_Vader might just kill her today_.

That revelation would scare anyone, Ahsoka was sure. She kept breathing calmly. In and out, in and out.

* * *

It probably didn’t take all that long, but it felt like an eternity before Ahsoka first saw Vader emerge from the gate with a squad of stormtroopers behind him. At the same time Ahsoka heard a ship land somewhere behind her. Her gut told her it was Hera, and she just prayed to the Force she was wrong. Hera shouldn’t be here!

Ahsoka turned around quickly to look at the Twi’lek girl emerging from the small ramp. Ahsoka couldn’t see her face, so she knew Hera couldn’t see hers either. She just shook her head as an indication that she shouldn’t come closer.

Hera was about to ignore Ahsoka, but hesitated when she saw the obvious threat emerging from the bridge. She faltered.

Ahsoka turned away from Hera and stood up to face Vader, who was getting closer and closer. He’d gotten his lightsaber from his belt but hadn’t activated it yet. Ahsoka hoped that it must be a good sign. She’d let hers stay on the ground. She was basically defenseless against him.

Vader stopped a few meters away from her, squad of troopers standing behind him. She could feel him staring at her, as well as Hera’s eyes on her back. She did not back down, though. This was the moment. She could not mess it up.

“Vader, you came. I’m glad. I wanted to talk to you,” Ahsoka said, her tone neutral.

It stayed silent for a few beats. The respirator the only sound coming from him. “The chance for talking has passed, Tano,” he eventually said. With that his lightsaber activated.

Well poodoo, Ahsoka thought. She raised her hands in submissive defense. “Wait! I thought about what you said the last time we spoke. I’ve changed my mind. I want to join you,” Ahsoka quickly said. She looked down, completely submissive.

But then Ahsoka felt a burning heat near her neck. His lightsaber was dangerously close to cutting right through her. Force, this really would be it, wouldn’t it? He would kill her… everything would have been for nothing.

“You think me a fool, Tano?” he demanded. Ahsoka closed her eyes. It was truly now or never.

“Feel the Force, know it to be true,” Ahsoka said before kneeling on the ground, keeping her head down. “I pledge myself to you, Master. I pledge myself to the ways of the Dark Side. I am done running. The Force told me my place is with you, if you would have me,” she finished.

Ahsoka waited for the feeling of a lightsaber cutting through her flesh. Waiting for the pain to start. Waited for her life to be over. It never came. She felt Vader probing her with the Force. Still, she kept her head down. She felt for Vader’s presence, familiarizing with it. Behind her she could feel Hera, confused and scared for what Ahsoka was doing. When suddenly she felt something snap around her neck and then she felt nothing. The Force, it was gone.

A Force-inhibiting collar.

Ahsoka looked up in shock to see Vader standing there, bearing down at her. Several cycles of the respirator passed before he spoke. “Very well, Ahsoka. You may prove your worth. But make no mistake, when I suspect you switching your allegiance again, you will meet your end. I can guarantee you it will not be quick.” He reached out with his hands and her lightsabers flew to him. He hooked them on his belt, on the opposite site of his own.

Vader then turned to the stormtroopers. “Cuff her. Have her taken to the Devastator and wait for orders. We’ll leave within the hour,” he demanded, before stalking off. Back towards the city.

Ahsoka had to keep herself from releasing a sigh of relief. She’d survived! She hadn’t gotten him all wrong! He still wanted her by his side. Oh, thank the Force – which she currently couldn’t feel.

A stormtrooper grabbed Ahsoka’s arm and pulled her upright, cuffing her. Ahsoka was about to walk away with them when she realized she could still hear the sounds of the shuttle behind her. She turned around one last time, to the dismay of the troopers around her.

There stood Hera, just as confused and scared as she’d just felt her a minute ago. Ahsoka felt bad for her. She nudged with her head as a sign for Hera to leave before turning around to start walking. It took a few seconds but then she’d heard the shuttle take off. Ahsoka was thankful. Hera was safe.

And if she were correct, she’d saved the rebels from their destruction as well. Vader seemed occupied enough with her, as she’d hoped. An hour wasn’t enough to find and eradicate the rebels. Her mission here was a success.

Ahsoka was led into the city, put completely on display before loaded inside a gunship. She stared at the growing Star Destroyer in her vision as they flew closer and closer towards it.

Once inside they blindfolded her – seriously? – and took her through endless hallways before she was pushed inside what was presumably a room. Her cuffs were removed and so was the blindfold. The few seconds it took her vision to properly return was enough for them to shut the door.

Ahsoka looked around. She wasn’t in a cell, but she was certainly locked up. There were no windows in the room. Only a bed and something that resembled a small fresher. Great.

Well, at least she’d accomplished her objective. She just had to deal with the consequences. It would be fine. Ahsoka would prove to Vader she could be trusted. And she would get Anakin back.

Whatever it takes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has finally happened! I had this moment planned out from the beginning. Oh Ahsoka, what have you gotten yourself into?


	26. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The others learn of Ahsoka's decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ANNOUNCEMENT!: 
> 
> I will be going on vacation next week. I will be gone for 2 1/2 weeks. In updating terms, that means 3 Wednesdays. I've written as much as I could, but don't have enough chapters to fill all those three weeks. Due to poor internetconnection at my destination, I won't be able to upload there.   
> I've come to this solution.
> 
> 22-7: no chapter  
> 29-7: NEW CHAPTER  
> 5-8: no chapter  
> 12-8: I will have returned from my vacation and updating will be back to normal from this week onward :D

At that same moment, in another place in the Galaxy, we find R2-D2. Artoo had made a promise to Ahsoka. He would send her messages after two days from the moment she’d left. And now the time had come.

Artoo rolled his way over to communications and plugged in. He sent the two messages with the encryption Ahsoka had given him. And then they were on their way.

His promise was fulfilled. Now Artoo just hoped Ahsoka would do okay on her mission. He didn’t want to miss her for too long. He’d lost Padmé and Anakin already. He wasn’t ready to lose Ahsoka too. And he silently hoped that she would succeed. After what had happened with Anakin, he was traumatized – for as much as a droid can experience that, of course.

To see his friend return to normal was something Artoo desperately wanted.

* * *

Obi-Wan just got back from a trip into town. He arrived at his home only to see his commlink beeping.

Incoming message.

It was very obvious to Obi-Wan who it would be. Though, he couldn’t for the life of him figure out why. Well, only one way to find out. He pressed his commlink and a Holo of Ahsoka sprung to life.

Ahsoka appeared to be seated on something and stared him right in the eyes. She looked determined.

“ _Hello Obi-Wan,”_ her Holo started. “ _You’re probably wondering, why this message? If I have something to say, why not just call? Well, Obi-Wan, I have something to say and you’re not going to like it. But you are going to listen, because it would be in your best interest to do so.”_

Ahsoka’s eyes flickered away for a second before returning to stare at him. A sign she was nervous. Obi-Wan listened intently to what Ahsoka was about to say, although he had an aching suspicion he knew what this was about. And he was indeed not going to like it.

“ _When I last came to you, I spoke to you about Anakin. I told you of my hope to save him. You squashed my ideas and my hope. I returned to you later and I apologized, sort of. You asked me to please don’t do something reckless as to go after Anakin. I didn’t reply. And I’m here to tell you why._

_I’d already made up my mind when I stood in front of you, then. When I walked away from you in the desert, feeling hurt and betrayed, I thought about what you’d said. I came to the conclusion that I did not agree._

_The truth is, Obi-Wan, that I am going to save him. I’m sorry to disappoint, but I’ve made up my mind. I have thought about this a lot in the past few days, and this is what I want. Luke and Leia deserve their father, and we deserve our brother and friend. If nobody else is willing to try, then I am going to._

_You cannot stop me. Artoo will have sent this message to you two days after I have already left. Nobody knows where I will be at this point in time that you are seeing this. Even I don’t know yet._

_I’m sorry to have deceived you like this, Obi-Wan, I really am. But I hope that I can prove you wrong. I will show you that I am strong enough to resist the Dark Side and to bring Anakin home. I sent a message to Senator Organa as well. I’m sure he’ll want to talk to you. You might want to contact him about this. Until the next time we see each other, Obi-Wan.”_ Then the Holo cut out.

Obi-Wan stared dumbfounded at the empty space that just a second ago was occupied by his reckless grand-padawan. He won’t deny that he hadn’t seen this coming, but still. He really hadn’t wanted Ahsoka to do this. He truly didn’t know if she was ready to face this threat yet.

Ahsoka carried the Light of the Daughter in her, yes. But also the Darkness that had come with Anakin. Back then Anakin’s teachings seemed innocent and harmless enough. But now, with the knowledge he had and looking back on it, it was obvious Anakin touched upon the Dark Side a lot. And he passed that down to Ahsoka.

She didn’t know, of course. But Obi-Wan could see it. Ahsoka would either come out of this stronger than ever or lose herself completely. Obi-Wan wasn’t afraid – never, he did not feel those feelings. He released them into the Force – but he did not want the day to come when the latter came to be true.

Obi-Wan would pretend he never noticed the way Ahsoka’s voice wavered at the end of her message, or how her face got less stony the farther she got into her justification. Whereas he just said he wasn’t afraid, she obviously was.

He could only hope she was okay. And that it would stay that way.

Obi-Wan picked up his commlink again and chimed Bail Organa. Ahsoka was right, they needed to talk about this.

* * *

Bail Organa was in his private residence on Coruscant. He just got back from his office. He still had work to do, but the Senate was hardly the place he wanted to do that these days.

Bail was fully aware of the fact that the Senate was only a front nowadays. A way for the Emperor to pretend that the people still had something to say in _his_ Galaxy. But Bail would never leave voluntarily. He would keep fighting for his people, even if it didn’t bring much.

After getting some work done, Bail sought out his secret comm unit that he used for his rebel connections. He went through his messages. Almost all of them were expected.

All but one.

It was a message from R2-D2, but with a different encryption code. That was Ahsoka Tano’s personal code. He was curious now. Ahsoka had gone on a spontaneous Jedi related mission, with every detail about it unknown to anyone else. Bail very much wanted to know how she was doing. Having a Force-user on their side was beneficial, so he would be lying if he said he didn’t want her back as soon as possible.

Bail decoded Ahsoka’s message and played the Holo. Ahsoka’s sitting figure appeared before him in blue. She looked completely calm and collected. All business-like. The Holo started talking.

“ _Senator Organa, sir. I imagine you are surprised I’m suddenly contacting you like this. But I can assure you this is important and something you will want to hear.”_ The Ahsoka in the Holo stopped talking for a second and took a breath.

“ _The easiest way to say this would just be to confess the truth first. I lied to you, Bail. And I’m sorry. I’m recording this before I’ve even left, so I have no idea what exactly I told you. But I can tell you it wasn’t the truth._

_I’m currently on a mission of my own. Something I knew you wouldn’t approve of. I told you I encountered Darth Vader on Onderon. But again, I didn’t tell you the whole truth. He asked me to join him. I refused, of course. But I’m going back on my decision._

_Before you start thinking the most horrible things of me, it’s not what you think. I believe Anakin Skywalker is still in there somewhere. I plan on getting him back out. I plan on bringing him back. I believe the only way to do that is by going with him. I’m not giving up my fight against the Empire, and I will send as much information to you as I can – if I’m able to, of course – but I will not be returning anytime soon._

_I’ve sent a message to Obi-Wan as well. I’ll tell you what I told him as well; you can’t stop me. This message was sent to you two days after I have already left. I have no idea where I am right now, and I told no one. I’m sorry, Bail. But if I succeed, we’ll have gained a massive ally, and Luke and Leia will be able to know at least a part of their biological family._

_I wish you good luck. I’m sure we’ll see each other again.”_ And just as with Obi-Wan, the Holo cut out after that.

Bail had not expected this at all. Ahsoka had given no indication that this was something she was planning.

But before he could ponder about it more, his comm chimed. This time it was a call. And he wasn’t surprised to see who it was. He answered it immediately.

“Ben,” Bail said. “ _Senator Organa,”_ came the reply. They stared at each other. Neither really knowing what to say to the other.

Obi-Wan was the first to speak again. “ _I take it you got the Holo as well,”_ he said. It was more a statement than a question. Bail nodded, but before he found something to say, Obi-Wan spoke again.

“ _I will be upfront with you, Ashla told me about this. She didn’t tell me she really planned on doing it on her own, but she did say she wanted to and that she believed she could. I told her she shouldn’t do it. That it was a lost cause. As you’ve seen, she ignored it completely.”_

Bail nodded again. “I had no idea she planned this. She told me she had something Jedi related to figure out. But it appears that she lied about that. I can’t excuse that, but as she said: there’s nothing we can do about it now. So I ask you Ben, what kind of chance does Ashla have of succeeding?” he asked.

Obi-Wan seemed to think real hard about it for a second. “ _I want to say her chances are high. But as I just said, I’m afraid that it’s a lost cause. We have all heard rumors of the things he’s done. I have no idea how Ashla will get herself out of this intact,”_ he eventually said.

Bail looked at Obi-Wan’s Hologram intently. “What do you mean ‘intact’?” he asked. Obi-Wan seemed to sigh on the other side. “ _Either physically… or mentally,”_ he finished. Bail understood what he meant; the implication was clear. He voiced it out loud. “Then I guess all we can do is have hope for her.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “ _Hope and pray to the Force she will get out okay.”_ He finished.

The conversation ended not long after that. Bail slept terribly that night. The implication that they’d lost Ahsoka to the Empire hang like an anvil above his head. Along with the question of how he was going to bring this to her crew.

* * *

It took 5 more days before Bail arrived back on Alderaan. He took a little time for himself to get settled, to see his wife and daughter, etc. But then he had an urgent meeting to attend. He called Lorey, Thea, Deo, Jax, Dara and Cornan to his office. He waited there for them to arrive.

Once they were all inside – some seated and some remained standing – Lorey was the first to speak. “What did you call us here for, Sir?” she asked.

Bail knew it was best to tell them without spinning around the subject. “I called you here in regard to Ahsoka. You all know she is off-world on a personal mission,” he started. The others all nodded at that statement. Though Bail was sure he saw Lorey’s eyes harden when she’d heard it.

“Five days ago, I got some news regarding the status of her mission,” he continued. He quickly debated what to say next. “It appears she’s not coming back. Ahsoka has been picked up by the Empire.”

Everyone in the room showed shocked faces. All except Lorey.

Then came the flood of questions.

“What do you mean ‘picked up by the Empire’?” Cornan asked. “What will happen to her? Do you know?” Jax asked. “Is she okay?” Dara asked. And with that a lot more questions.

But before Bail could answer them, another voice spoke up with authority. “Ahsoka’s fine, isn’t she? Because she wasn’t arrested or anything, like you’re having us believe. She joined them willingly,” Lorey simply stated. Everyone quieted down and stared at her. Bail didn’t know what to say.

“What are you talking about, Lorey? Ahsoka’s a Jedi. She has no business with the Empire,” Deo said.

Lorey shook her head and turned to Bail. “If it isn’t true, then why aren’t you denying it, Sir? Is it because you can’t? because I’m right? Tell us,” Lorey demanded.

Bail didn’t want to get into this. He wasn’t one to let himself be coerced into admitting something. But all of them were staring at him expectantly. He started thinking. Maybe it was better for them to know the truth… but they can’t know about Anakin Skywalker. He admitted defeat. “Yes, Lorey is correct. From what I know, Ahsoka joined the Empire willingly-“

The room erupted in chaos before he could continue further. “Why would she do that?” “She turned traitor!” “I can’t believe that someone like her would choose the Empire over us,” and all other kind of statements were thrown around.

Bail held up his hand and slowly it quieted down. “I know what this may sound like. I wasn’t planning on telling you like this. All I can tell you is that she’s not on their side, but she’s on a personal mission,” he said.

Again, Lorey interrupted the rest of the statement. “I would like to believe that Viceroy, but I know a little too much to accept that explanation.” That statement caused the others to stare at her in confusion. This really was an emotional rollercoaster for them.

Lorey explained further. “I was there when Ahsoka spoke with Vader on Onderon. I know what he said to her. He asked her to join him,” Lorey started. Gasps were heard throughout the room. “Ever since he said that to her, she’s been acting strange. I believe she took him up on his offer. But let’s not dwell on it. She betrayed us. I couldn’t care less about what happened to her now.” And with that Lorey turned around and walked out.

* * *

On her way back to her quarters, Lorey took the time to think. So, she had been right. Ahsoka really joined with Vader. All these days that Ahsoka had been gone now, she’d thought about it. She’d hoped that she was wrong. And now here she was proven right.

Organa had to know the true reason why Ahsoka joined the Empire, right? Ahsoka had told her that he knows who Vader was before this. He must know about their past acquaintanceship. So how could he just simply believe that Ahsoka was truly still on their side, if Vader would welcome her into the Empire?

Lorey hated herself for it, but she could understand why Ahsoka would do it. No more running. No more fighting for her own life. It was a great solution for Ahsoka. Lorey had only hoped that Ahsoka wouldn’t take that easy way out.

She was wrong.

Lorey was angry, but deep down she was also very sad. She’d become great friends with Ahsoka. To be betrayed by a friend… that hurts. Lorey was sure she wouldn’t sleep well the coming days.

In all her anger and sadness, Lorey at least hoped Ahsoka could live with her own decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, again:  
> 22-7: no chapter  
> 29-7: NEW CHAPTER  
> 5-8: no chapter  
> 12-8: I will have returned from my vacation and updating will be back to normal from this week onward :D


	27. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka deals with her first days in Imperial confinement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is a bit shorter. But I also had less time to write. I'm putting this in waiting here on Monday 20-7 so you do the math :D

It was dark, so very dark. Ahsoka looked around but couldn’t see anything. It was like she was standing in a void. How did she even get here? It was also eerily silent. Not even her footsteps made any sound.

Ahsoka kept walking and walking in the dark, hoping to find something. When suddenly a sound broke the silence. Someone was breathing. But it wasn’t normal breathing. Ahsoka knew that sound. The sound of a respirator.

She whipped around, and for some reason Ahsoka could suddenly see something within all that dark. She could see him. Even though he was completely dressed in black, she could see him clear as day.

In front of her stood Darth Vader. And right now, he looked every bit as menacing as the stories depicted him.

Ahsoka didn’t want to admit it, but she was scared. Or, at least, she thought she was. But in the body she was currently in, nothing of that fear showed.

She said something, but Ahsoka couldn’t hear or feel anything. Her mouth moved, but to her, nothing came out. But for some reason he’d heard her. Because she could feel him say something back. Again, she didn’t hear it, she just had a feeling. She just knew.

Ahsoka’s figure said something back, again. Her entire body went rigid. A lightsaber activated, and the entire space got lit up by a red beam. Ahsoka didn’t even know whose lightsaber it was. To her feeling, she was holding it. But her eyes told her a different story.

Ahsoka’s body started stalking around Vader – since when had her body gotten a mind of its own? She was in control of herself just a minute ago. Her mouth started saying things again. Vader watched her passively. And then she lunged.

The fight was over within a second – what was happening?! – and it ended brutally. Ahsoka had lashed out with her saber at Vader, intending to end it, only to end up with that same saber suddenly buried inside her abdomen.

Ahsoka gasped and-

* * *

Ahsoka woke up with a scream, startled into a sitting position. Her hand went to her abdomen where the lightsaber had been stabbed through. There was nothing there. It was just a dream.

A dream which had presented itself every time she’d gone to sleep ever since Ahsoka got on board Vader’s Star Destroyer. It was the same thing every time. It was always dark. Until Vader arrived. They would talk, but Ahsoka could never hear a thing. And then the lightsaber lit. It was always a different person holding it. Ahsoka could never decipher who. They would fight. And then it would end with one of them dying by the other’s hand. And right before the end, one or two sentences would be heard.

Ahsoka could hear herself say one thing. “It is a Sith’s nature for the Apprentice to take their Master’s place.” And then she would end Vader. But it didn’t always go that way. Just like today, when Vader ended her. He would always say: “You failed,” in reaction to Dream-Ahsoka’s earlier statement.

It was a horrible nightmare, and it scared Ahsoka to death. What if this was the Force warning her of the future? But that couldn’t be, because she’d been cut off from the Force ever since she got here. It couldn’t be that. It had to be just a nightmare. Her unconscious fears and thoughts playing with her mind. Because the Force couldn’t give her these visions after being cut off from it for so long, right?

Ahsoka didn’t even know how long it had been since she was put in this room-cell-thingy. There were no windows for her to see outside and no chronometer to give her a sense of time. And an officer had come by to give her food and water about 8 times now. But that didn’t tell her much either. How many times did they feed their prisoners?

Was she even a prisoner?

There really were too many uncertain variables in this situation. Ahsoka didn’t like it. She’d tried meditating, but without the Force that just led to sleepiness and sleep led to the nightmare. But there just wasn’t much else for her to do.

Suddenly Ahsoka noticed a tray beside her. So, they brought food again. Must’ve been while she was sleeping. That was nine times now. She would keep counting until she got a sense of time back.

Ahsoka picked up the tray, inspected the food on top of it and picked at it. They hadn’t tried to poison her so far, but she could never be too careful. As long as she was in here, she had no idea what they wanted to do with her. She wasn’t sure what their motive was for keeping her locked up like this, but they must want something with her.

Admitting defeat – she was hungry after such a vivid dream – she decided to just eat. She’d accounted for her not getting out of this situation alive. Might as well gamble on it.

* * *

Ahsoka ate slowly, and she still wasn’t finished when the door opened again. But this time, the officer that stood in front of her wasn’t carrying a tray. He didn’t have anything. He walked in, and the door closed behind him. All Ahsoka could do was stare at him. What was he here for?

“Ahsoka Tano. I see you’ve made yourself comfortable,” he said.

Wisely keeping her mouth shut, Ahsoka stared at him. If he wanted something from her, he just had to ask. She wouldn’t give him anything more than what he wanted. She couldn’t risk saying anything that would give too much away of her intentions. She would only make those known to Vader directly. 

“I see you’re cautious. That’s fine. I’ll just get right to it then. Why are you here, miss Tano?” he asked.

“I told Lord Vader that himself. He should know better than to second guess me. I have no ulterior motive for being here than just switching sides,” Ahsoka stated monotone.

“And what was your reason for ‘switching sides’ as you so put it?” he asked again. Why was he interrogating her?

Ahsoka faked a sigh. “I was tired of running. And I have no love for the Jedi. So why should I not switch my allegiance. If you still doubt me, ask Lord Vader to come in here. He’ll be able to tell if I’m sincere with the Force,” she stated harshly.

“You will see Lord Vader again when we arrive at our destination in two days. Up until then, continue to make yourself comfortable. You will not be getting out before that,” the officer replied stoically. Well, if that was all he’d wanted, why did he come in here? This situation made no sense.

Ahsoka sighed again. “How long have I been in here already?” she decided to ask.

That question broke the officer’s façade. He smirked at her. Ahsoka wanted to wipe it off his face. “four days,” he said, before stepping out again.

4 kriffing days. That was too long for her liking. Ahsoka sighed, again. For real this time. Well, two more days to go. Then she would see Vader again and they would arrive at their destination, apparently. Ahsoka wondered what it was.

Well, she had plenty of time to ponder about it.

* * *

Two days past. For Ahsoka those two days were spend trying not to sleep, failing miserably, and having the same nightmare at least two more times. She wondered if this would keep happening when – if – she got the Force back.

Ahsoka knew they had to be arriving soon. If her estimate was correct, it had been two days. That meant she would be free of this room-prison-thingy. Only to maybe be put in another once they reached whatever place they would go to, but that was another problem for another time.

Staying seated on her makeshift bed, Ahsoka waited for something to happen for what felt like hours. Then suddenly the Star Destroyer shuddered. Ahsoka knew that was a sign they had just dropped out of hyperspace. She waited patiently for someone to come get her.

Suddenly the door to her room opened. But no one came in. Ahsoka stood up and peered outside. She looked into a hallway, which was completely empty. Strange. She carefully took a step forward into the hallway, but again nothing happened. Nobody came to reprimand her or collect her.

The entire hallway was closed off, all but one door which stood open. But it didn’t appear to be the way out. Throwing caution in the wind, Ahsoka made her way towards the open door and stepped inside. Once she was a few steps in, it became obvious that she’d just stepped inside someone’s quarters. Though it was bare, very bare. There was no personal... anything. Was it just a spare?

Before Ahsoka could think further on it, her attention was pulled away towards the viewport. More specifically the planet that lay in front of her. Their destination, she believed. Ahsoka walked closer towards the viewport to study it. You can’t blame her. She was curious as to where Vader had brought her.

A dark orange planet sat before her. Ahsoka had only seen it once, but she would recognize it anywhere – partly due to what Obi-Wan had told her of what transpired here.

“Mustafar?” Ahsoka questioned to herself quietly.

“You assume correct,” came a booming mechanical voice from behind her. Ahsoka visibly startled as she turned around, instantly regretting her reaction and cursing the fact that the Force was currently lost to her to warn her. How had she even missed his approach? His entire being wasn’t exactly quiet. Or had he already been here? Were these his quarters? That would explain a lot.

Ahsoka immediately slammed her mental shields down tight. She didn’t have the Force to keep Vader out of her mind, and she did not want to project the fact that she knew what had happened here between him, Padmé and Obi-Wan. He would know the only person she could’ve gotten that information from was Obi-Wan. And she did not want him to know that she had been in contact with him.

“Vader,” Ahsoka said, collecting herself. “Why are we headed to Mustafar? I wasn’t aware there was anything here.”

“You weren’t supposed to be,” was his answer. Ahsoka wanted to roll her eyes at it but refrained from doing so. “But it’s significance will be known to you in time. We will head down to the surface, now.” And with that Vader turned around and started walking away.

Ahsoka had the feeling she was supposed to follow him, so she did. He led her towards a shuttle. They boarded and were flown towards the surface. Once they sat down, Vader lowered the ramp with a flick of his hand and strode down. Ahsoka followed him but faltered once she’d reached the bottom.

Ahsoka stood on a landing pad, with in front of her a large black structure. She couldn’t help but stare up at it. It was impressive, she had to admit. But also scary. For the first time since it had been locked around her neck, Ahsoka was glad for the Force-suppressant collar. Because she was sure this place reeked of the Dark Side.

Since when was this here? Obi-Wan hadn’t told her that he’d encountered this structure – castle, really – and she hadn’t seen it either when she was here with Anakin during the Clone Wars. She was sure she would’ve felt a place like this in the Force.

When her awe had subsided, she looked back ahead, only to find that no one was there. Vader had just headed inside and left her standing here. Ahsoka sighed. She should’ve followed. She started walking and made her way inside the castle, but it felt like a maze. She would never find her way in here, let alone find him.

“Miss Tano, I was ordered to receive you,” a voice said from behind her. Ahsoka turned around to face the one that had addressed her. In front of her stood a man dressed in a cloak. “Who are you?” she asked.

“My name is Vaneé. I serve in Lord Vader’s Castle. He ordered me to show you where you will be staying,” Vaneé said.

Vader’s Castle? This was his? Why was she even surprised? It certainly had his flair to it. She wondered with what purpose he had it here, of all places. Was it personal torment? As reaction to his words, Ahsoka only nodded. She would never find the way around here herself. Better to let this man show her.

Vaneé started walking, so Ahsoka followed. She was led towards a chamber. Apparently hers from the way Vaneé led her inside.

“This is where you will be staying for the unforeseeable future. Food will be taken care off. I will escort you for whatever Lord Vader askes of me, or you. Please refrain from any exploring.” And with that Vaneé left.

Ahsoka had the feeling he said that last part on Vader’s orders. He still knew her quite well, it appeared. She did want to go exploring, given the fact that she was apparently not locked up. Vader ordering her not to would not stop her.

But Ahsoka stopped to think twice about that idea. Maybe she really shouldn’t. She had no idea what Vader wanted with her, especially in a place like this. And she still had the collar. It would be wiser to try and stay on Vader’s good side and only go exploring once she got the Force back.

Once again Ahsoka was confined to a room. At least this time she wasn’t locked in. And she had a window. She walked towards it. Below her, Mustafar’s lava rivers flowed. Ahsoka wondered where the duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin had taken place. She wondered where he’d strangled Padmé, and where he’d been burned.

She also wondered if he still thought about that day. Did he use it to fuel the Dark Side within him to commit the atrocities he had?

Well, guess she would find out soon enough. Ahsoka settled on her bed and waited once again for an unknown time. Wondering about an unknown future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, this was a little bit all over the place. But I had to cross the barrier between the Destoyer and Mustafar and I couldn't figure out how to do it differently so eventually I just thought fuck it. Yeah!


	28. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M LATE! F*CK! I'M SORRY! I guess life just got in the way. Work has started again. And yesterday my colleague broke her ankle real bad while we were at the school. We had to call an ambulance and everything. So much happened. But here it is, finally.

Ahsoka was summoned the next day. Vaneé came to collect her and led her through the vast castle. Once again Ahsoka plotted their entire route in her head like a map. Because she was sure she would get lost in this place if she didn’t. From the outside it looked like a very strange structure, but it had become obvious to Ahsoka real quick that the inside was just like any other imperial building she’d ever been in.

Everything was grey and every room and hallway looked the same.

Without the Force Ahsoka would sure get lost here. Ergo, route mapping. She followed Vaneé closely to what she believed were some of the upper levels. They had used a turbolift to get up, so… logical conclusion, really.

Ahsoka was led inside a large room. Once again, everything was grey. The ground held a certain pattern that made it obvious to her they could be opened. There were droids in the corners. It wasn’t hard to figure out that this was a training room.

Vaneé left her without saying a word. Ahsoka figured she just had to wait here. She looked around. One wall appeared to consist of blast doors, which were currently closed. She looked for a way to open them. She just wanted to see the planet below. Wanted to feel its essence. The place where it had all gone wrong several years ago.

Ahsoka found the lever and pulled it. Without further action needed, the doors started to open with quite a lot of sound. Due to this, Ahsoka didn’t notice a door open on the opposite side of the room. Or the heavy footsteps that followed when a certain Dark Lord of the Sith walked in.

Slowly the orange planet came into view and Ahsoka stood and stared. Once again, her thoughts wandered to what had transpired here. She took a step forward, imagining the scene playing out in front of her. When suddenly, the sound of a respirator pulled her out of it.

Ahsoka didn’t turn around when she addressed him. She only slightly tilted her head to the side.

“Nice place you got here. It seems to fit your aesthetic. Tall building, black and grey, placed on a very dark planet,” Ahsoka said, cynicism lacing every word.

It stayed silent. A few cycles from the respirator were heard. Ahsoka still didn’t look back at him. She was bold in her statement. She didn’t want to see him react. Not that she could, in fact, see him react due to that stupidly terrifying mask.

“Why are you here?” suddenly came the question. It sounded so deep and dark.

Ahsoka stepped back with her right foot, turning her body halfway so she was now facing him partly. “You took me here,” she said with an unreadable expression. Yes, she understood he probably meant it in a deeper way. But she wasn’t going to give up her story when his intentions weren’t clear yet. Some part of her was still afraid of him.

“Don’t test me, Ahsoka,” Vader growled. He stared her down. Ahsoka turned away again.

“You want my story? Fine. When I left the Jedi Order seven years ago, I was alone. For about 8 months I roamed the levels of Coruscant looking for a purpose. Then suddenly I got pulled into criminal activities and before I knew it, I ended up with Bo-Katan. She showed me a purpose, and when it was time to act, I got pulled back towards you. That brief moment back with you and Obi-Wan made me realize how much I missed having someone who understood me.”

If Ahsoka could feel the Force at this moment. She would’ve felt Vader’s fury at the mention of Obi-Wan Kenobi. But alas, she does not currently have the Force, so she just continued on with the story.

“We were supposed to catch up after Mandalore because we couldn’t before. And then suddenly the clones attacked. I escaped, but I was alone again. For five years I roamed the galaxy, hiding from the Empire. From you. But as you might know, Togruta’s aren’t meant to be alone. I had enough. Then I met this small group of what you might call ‘insurgents’ or ‘rebels’. They welcomed me, and I joined them.”

Ahsoka turned back towards Vader then, facing him once again. “I won’t lie to you. I have no love for the Empire. Neither do I for the rebels. I have learned that loyalty is a fragile thing. I trust in people, not in an organization. I was happy with my friends, who just happened to be rebels. But then I learned of you, and your identity. I won’t deny that I was hurt, at first, when I learned of what you had become and what you’d done. But when you asked me to join you and the Empire, it made me think. What do I really want for myself?

“I wanted to stop running. I was tired of being alone. Of not being understood. And I know that Anakin Skywalker is dead, I do.”

_Lies._

“But you are still the only one left that I know. Whether with a new name and personality or not. Someone who understands me because we both share the Force. At least with you, I don’t have to run anymore. And I know that you understand my power. So, if you have doubts about my loyalty, just know that I am loyal to you, Lord Vader.”

Ahsoka continued to stare at him, waiting for him to say something. She stared at the lenses in his helmet, somehow feeling that she was looking right into his eyes. But she couldn’t see them.

The entire room was silent, except for Vader’s breathing, that continued on eerily. He wasn’t saying anything. With every second that passed, Ahsoka became more nervous. If he didn’t agree with her or didn’t believe her, she had no doubt he would strike her down right here and now. Ever after these several days in his custody, she still didn’t trust that he wouldn’t dispose of her if she did the wrong thing – if she got out of line. That feeling would probably only pass when Anakin had finally returned.

Finally, he broke the silence. “My identity has been one of the best kept secrets in this galaxy. There are only a select few who know of it. How did you find out?” he asked, his voice threatening. But, well, wasn’t his voice just always threatening with his new voice modulator? 

Yet, Ahsoka knew she’d been caught. She wasn’t supposed to know. She couldn’t tell him that she’d heard it from Obi-Wan. Then he would know that she knew where he was. And that would certainly get her a nice torture session. She quickly thought of any other excuse.

“Right before I faced Maul on Mandalore, he told me something. He said he’d had a vision. Of you, and how you were to become the Sith’s apprentice. He told me he was so certain of your fate that he’d orchestrated that war to lure you and Obi-Wan to Mandalore. So he could end your life. He told me the Sith had been grooming you for a while now. I didn’t believe him. How could I? Nobody wants to see the bad in their friends.

“But then, sometime after the Empire had risen, I learned of this being named Darth Vader. My friends told me of you. The inquisitors I’ve faced confirmed that you, Darth Vader, existed. And I started thinking of our bond. It had felt dark and empty, but when I thought about it, it wasn’t gone like the bonds with all the other Jedi that were killed in the purge. It wasn’t the same feeling. There was still something there, it was just masked by something else. Hidden. And given the fact that Palpatine is Darth Sidious and he always did show an interest in you, it wasn’t hard to put two and two together. Maul had been right. You did become the Sith Apprentice.”

Ahsoka thought it sounded quite plausible now that she’d said all that out loud. She had to admit that she had the information from the beginning. Maul had basically told her what would happen. But she’d had to wait for Obi-Wan to confirm it for her. Ahsoka carefully tried to keep her mind and emotions shielded, despite her lack of the Force. Vader was not to pick up on her sadness regarding the situations she’d just recalled in her head. 

Vader, on the other hand, did not hide his emotions all that well. Ahsoka picked up on his anger rather quickly. His body language screamed of a lot of anger. But that wasn’t a surprise. He was always angry, it seemed. Although, that shouldn’t surprise her either. It was the way of the Sith, after all. He continued to stay silent, and Ahsoka guessed he was thinking.

“Very well,” he suddenly ground out, startling Ahsoka a little. he waved his hand in a small gesture and suddenly a pillar rose from the ground. On it was… a lightsaber?! Vader took several steps back, leaving Ahsoka even more confused. She tried hard not to show it on her face.

“Let’s see how well you’ll do after six years in solitude then,” Vader said. Ahsoka grew more confused. For a second fear overtook her. He didn’t mean- she didn’t know if she was ready to take him on just yet! And definitely not without the Force to guide her!

But with a swipe of Vader’s hand, Ahsoka’s collar fell off her neck. At the same time, several droids suddenly activated from the corner of the vast room. They were training droids, but Ahsoka got the strong feeling that Vader didn’t use them in their normal training setting. There were five in total, and they all had an electrical staff that they activated at the same time. They hovered over towards her with an insane amount of speed.

Ahsoka shot a quick look towards Vader. If he wanted to test her, she would give him the best she could do.

The Force was flowing back into Ahsoka since the collar had come off, and it was an odd sensation. She suddenly felt complete again. But every energy she felt was dark. Mustafar and this castle in particular was made completely of darkness. But Ahsoka was prepared for that. She’d figure out a way to work with it. For now, she just had to fight.

Ahsoka used the Force to keep the droids back while reaching out with her other hand to call the lightsaber to her. The moment she lifted it in the air, the pillar sank back into the ground. The lightsaber shot towards Ahsoka. She immediately activated it and swung backwards towards the droids, who were now upon her. She parried the first attack from one of the droids and pushed it back.

With a shock Ahsoka realized that the lightsaber she held in her hand was green. She’s fully expected it to be red. For it to be green meant that it had once belonged to a Jedi. And that could only mean that said Jedi had met their end by Vader himself. Ahsoka tried to push her disgust down and focus on the droids who were very obviously trying to kill her.

The droids appeared to be very well coordinated and Ahsoka had trouble parrying all their attacks. Let alone go on the offensive herself. She knew she had to. The whole point of this ‘exercise’ was to see how well she could hold her own. Ahsoka doubted Vader would be satisfied with defense only.

Yet it was hard. Ahsoka favored Jar’Kai. She’d had two lightsabers for so long now. She was used to defending and attacking using her two hands and sabers separately. Now she had to remember what it was like to really only have one lightsaber and not being able to get her hands on another one.

Given the fact that she’d had to immediately jump into the fight, Ahsoka did not yet have the time to really switch styles. When a little breathing room appeared for her, Ahsoka took the chance right away. She centered herself and called upon her earlier training memories. All the younglings were trained in the basic stances of every basic lightsaber form. She focused on her first year with Anakin as her master, in which he’d focused teaching her Djem So, his preferred style. He had been proclaimed a master of the form, even. And he’d taught her all she needed to know before she’d switched to Jar’Kai.

Ahsoka pushed herself into the first Form V position. Then she attacked. She would have to admit that she was a quite rusty with Djem So, but she managed. She took on the five droids to the best of her abilities.

Two came at Ahsoka at the same time from different sides. At the last moment she ducked. The droids shocked each other with their staff and Ahsoka used that moment to lash out with her saber. They fell dead silent to the ground, their circuits fried.

The Force told Ahsoka to duck once again. And right after she did, a staff swung right over her head. She stumbled back as the droid pushed forward. From behind, she could feel the other two advancing as well. Ahsoka spun to parry the incoming attack, only to be shocked from behind. She let out a grunt. Electricity was never pleasant.

Ahsoka was quickly tiring. She’d been confined to rooms for days now, doing nothing but sitting still and thinking. The sudden adrenaline and action were a strain on her body. She kept attacking and attacking only for the droids to parry and block her. They were working together quite well and Ahsoka could not find an opening in their defense or attack

Finally, she’d managed to cut down another droid by stabbing it right through the middle. But Ahsoka had had enough. This one saber was not enough. And one of the staffs of the fallen droids would not do enough damage to make a difference. But she didn’t have her own lightsabers with her. She didn’t have anything else but this. And her frustration was growing because of that fact.

But then Ahsoka thought of something. This wasn’t the only lightsaber in the room if she was correct. With one quick look at Vader, she knew he had it on him. And if she timed it right, she could get his lightsaber in her hand.

Ahsoka dove into the Force and let it guide her movements. She didn’t attack anymore and evaded every strike the droids threw at her. Then, when she felt the moment was right, she suddenly reached out with the Force. And she was confident Vader could’ve stopped her if he wanted to, but she still ended up with his saber in her hand. She grinned as she activated it and turned it in a reverse grip, entering into a starting point of Jar’Kai.

And there Ahsoka stood, green and red saber at the ready. This felt familiar and safe and she immediately grew in her confidence that she could, in fact, win this. She waited for the droids to advance slowly. When they got close enough for her liking, she attacked. And it was lightning fast. Within seconds both droids were on the ground, having been cut clean through.

Ahsoka stood amongst the carnage of five destroyed droids, both lightsabers in reverse grip at her side, pointing upwards. She was breathing hard; the fight having taken a lot out of her.

Suddenly, the lightsabers moved and flew out of Ahsoka’s hand. If it wasn’t for her quick sidestep, they would’ve cut right through her abdomen. Ahsoka spun back around to see Vader advancing on her with both sabers. He stopped in front of her and stared her down.

Ahsoka wanted to shrink back but stood her ground. She’d done what he’d asked. She’d won. She’d shown skill and quick thinking. She’d played dirty. Ahsoka was proud of herself. She would not back down against Vader.

“Do _not_ do that again,” Vader said as he deactivated the sabers and held his towards her in indication. It was obvious what he meant. Ahsoka only nodded. He was having mercy on her right now. If he was truly and completely displeased, something would’ve happened. He was probably content with the way she’d dealt with the droids, so he wouldn’t make more of a deal about the fact that she’d stolen his lightsaber.

Vader pressed a button on his wrist and within a few seconds, Vaneé entered the room. Ahsoka seriously wondered if he’d waited outside the door this whole time. How else did he get here so fast? She then wondered if he didn’t have anything else to do.

Vaneé took Ahsoka back outside and towards her room. Ahsoka pretended to be unhappy, but in fact she was quite content. Because whether it was by accident or not, something wonderful had happened for her. The collar had been left in the training room. The Force was flowing through Ahsoka again and it was a great feeling.

If Vader didn’t need her again soon Ahsoka would go exploring. She had a lot she wanted to find out about this place. Anything she could fight would help her in her mission.

So, Ahsoka stared out the window. Finally, fully focusing on the Force. And she realized she actually had been right in her assessment when she’d arrived here. This place reeked of the Dark Side. But it was fine. Ahsoka was prepared to sacrifice everything to save Anakin. Even her hold on the Light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, another A/N. 
> 
> I've officially run out of prewritten content. I now only rely on things I can write in the week itself. And I don't know how long I can keep that up. I'll try my best to keep the Wednesdays updates up, but I'm afraid I can't guarantee anything. 
> 
> Thank you for understanding.


	29. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late again. Won't give you an excuse. Don't really have one other than that work has started and I royally fucked up my planning. So, my fault. I'll try to do better.

That evening Ahsoka decided it was time to go on her planned excursion through the castle. Vaneé had just left after he’d brought her dinner. She knew from experience the last few days that he wouldn’t check on her again until morning. They fully trusted that Ahsoka had enough fear and self-preservation to stay in her room.

Wrong thought.

To be sure that she was being left alone, Ahsoka stayed in her room for an hour more before slowly opening the door. She stared into the hallway, only to find it completely empty. She reached out into the Force and there she also found nothing. This part of the castle was completely empty.

That reminded Ahsoka, she was now almost certain that the continued removal of the Force-inhibiting collar was deliberate. She did not believe that Vader hadn’t felt her in the Force ever since she’d left him this afternoon.

Unless he was not currently here, of course. But no, Ahsoka was sure Vader hadn’t left. She could feel his presence in the Force. He was somewhere here in the castle.

So, case in point, Vader had to know she was free of the binders. He should be able to feel her in the Force just as she is able to feel him. But why? Did he want to test her? Ahsoka didn’t know the answer, but if she would try to figure it out now, she would never get going. So, she decided to take the risk.

Ahsoka stepped out into the empty hallway. She knew to stay clear of the lower hanger bay and the larger turbolifts. She’d seen that those were for the stormtroopers and other personnel that roamed the castle. It had become clear to her that the parts she was staying in were off limits for regular personnel. The only movement she’d been aware of here had been Vaneé and what she’d assumed were droids.

Turning left, Ahsoka started walking. Vaneé had taken her left, so that was the only route she really knew from what she’d remembered. If she made her way there first and continued on from there… that sounded like a good idea. She reached the turbolift at the end of the hall and stepped inside. She used it to get to the next level.

* * *

That went on for about two levels, and then it got boring. Ahsoka constantly used the Force to feel if something was amiss, but other than that there was nothing exciting, for lack of a better word.

Ahsoka strode back towards the turbolift and made a decision. She rode all the way up – as far as this lift allowed, then – and got out at the top level. When she stepped out it appeared to be an open space. She stepped further onto the big place.

Looking up, Ahsoka noticed she was nowhere near the top of the building, but she felt like this was quite an important place at the castle, nonetheless. This place had a strong sense of darkness here. It threatened to engulf her completely. It felt suffocating, really. With every step she took, she felt her body being dragged down.

It must be why Vader had chosen this place as a base, Ahsoka realized. This place had a special kind of strong connection to the Dark Side of the Force. She let out a shiver. She needed to get out of here. It was becoming too much. She quickly started walking back to where she came from.

Ahsoka let out a breath once she reached the turbolift. She had no idea that the darkness could have such an effect on a person. She stepped in and quickly closed the door to get to a different level. The level where she’d just come from had a beautiful view, Ahsoka had to admit. She was sure Vader had a certain use for it. Ahsoka just didn’t know if she wanted to find out.

Uncertain where to go next, Ahsoka hovered in the lift. Feeling lightly for the Force, she found that it was pulling her somewhere. Ahsoka decided to follow. She’d already gone down the path of exploring. If the Force told her to go somewhere, she might as well see it through.

Reaching another level, Ahsoka stepped out again. She started walking down the hallway looking for the place or thing the Force was pulling her towards when she suddenly felt a strong presence. She immediately turned to stare at the door it came from.

Vader’s presence. It lingered there. This must be his quarters. It sure felt like it. Ahsoka reached out with the Force but couldn’t pinpoint his location. It didn’t feel like he was in there. And she couldn’t help but be curious.

So of course, with no sense of self-preservation—as previously mentioned—Ahsoka entered.

It was quite a big space in which she’d entered, but Ahsoka was in awe of what she saw. It appeared that it was all about keeping himself alive. In the middle was a bacta tank with around it several droids that were currently shut off, which Ahsoka only noticed after she’d gotten startled by them, thinking they were looking at her. She released a breath she didn’t know she was holding. For a moment there she thought she’d been caught and that the droids would report to their master.

And Ahsoka did not want to be found roaming around his quarters when Vader would finally catch her exploring his castle when she’d been ordered to stay in her room unless told otherwise.

Ahsoka continued to look on. Scattered on several tables were mechanical parts. When she looked closer, she noticed it must be for his prosthetics. Either he or the droids worked on them, apparently.

There were also droid parts on a separate workbench. Ahsoka couldn’t help but think it ironic. For all that Vader would claim that Anakin was gone, he still held the same ‘hobby’ so to say. It wouldn’t surprise her if at least part of these droids were self-made.

Ahsoka walked in further when her eyes fell on something. In the back was a… dome? Sphere? It was completely black.

Now, Ahsoka knew a lot about everything mechanical, but this thing was a complete mystery. What purpose did it have here?

Ahsoka approached it carefully. It left a strange impression in the Force. Too many feelings were surrounding it—no, wait. Not surrounding it. They were inside.

There was something inside.

But Ahsoka couldn’t actually feel inside. It was blocked. But her curiosity had already been peaked. She’d made it this far. She _would_ see what was inside it. Quickly scanning the exterior, Ahsoka found no way to open the damn thing. It was sealed. Or, in other words, only accessible with the Force.

Reaching out her hand, she lifted part of the dome. And only a second later she wished she hadn’t.

Oh _kriff_.

Inside the dome was Vader, in a meditative position. And with that Ahsoka knew she’d royally kriffed up. But that feeling only got worse once her gaze met his.

_Really met his eyes and not lenses in a mask. What the hell. Kriffing kriff...!_

He was not wearing his helmet. Ahsoka stared right at Anakin Skywalker’s face. But not really. Because this man was scarred beyond belief. And his eyes—those Sith golden eyes—stared right at her. They bore into her very soul.

It was horrifying to really see this for Ahsoka. It was one thing to sort of accept what Anakin had become without really seeing it because of the suit. It was another thing entirely to see his eyes, his scars. To really see Anakin Skywalker as a Sith. It actually physically hurt.

And now Ahsoka knew she was dead. She would not survive this. He would kill her for this.

Finally, Ahsoka regained the ability to act. she gasped as she took several steps backwards, never breaking eye contact with her former master. Until the point that his helmet attached itself back on, and Anakin disappeared. He was once again Darth Vader.

She had to run. She had to get away. She could still get out. If she left now, she could outrun him. The stormtroopers would be no problem—

But before Ahsoka could even move, she was frozen to her spot. She stared at Vader with his outstretched hand, and fear overtook her. Slamming her shields down tied she mentally apologized to Obi-Wan for being reckless and wrong. And to Leia for not coming back to help train her. And to Luke, for never having really met him at all.

Ahsoka tried to put on a brave face as Vader stepped up to her and into her personal space. The fact that he hadn’t snapped her neck yet was a complete miracle.

“ _What are you doing here?!”_ Vader demanded with his booming voice. Ahsoka could now completely understand why everyone was terribly frightened of him. The Force screamed DANGER all around her. All Ahsoka could think about was why it hadn’t warned her before she’d opened his meditation chamber—which she’d realized it was after she’d just caught him meditating in it—or even his quarters in general!

Ahsoka gulped before taking a deep breath and answering. “I- I-“ oh man. She didn’t even have an answer. “I’m sorry, my Lord, I didn’t mean to come here. Somehow the Force called me here,” she stammered. She was not proud of herself for that. Well, at least she’d called him by his title and not ‘Anakin’. That would’ve gone over well.

“The Force called you here?” Vader asked disbelievingly. He doubted her reasons. Of course he wouldn’t believe her. Ahsoka should know better.

“Please, I didn’t mean to intrude. I had no idea this was yours.” Lie. Obvious lie. “B-but to ease it a little, there’s nothing I can tell anyone that I don’t already know. I know who hides behind that mask. What I didn’t know about were the scars,” Ahsoka stated boldly. She would die anyway. Might as well just give it a try to get through his shields. She continued on a softer tone: “What happened, Vader?”

She stared at him with soft, pleading eyes. Ahsoka tried to appeal to Anakin because that was all she had left. And after a painfully silent moment, she was suddenly released.

Ahsoka gasped as she hunched over, feeling like she could finally breathe again. Because she’d been suffocating on fear, not because she’d been Force chocked. He hadn’t tried to kill her. Not really.

Rising back up again, Ahsoka stared hard at Vader. “What happened to you?” she asked again, more clearly this time.

“I joined with the Emperor,” was the deadpanned answer. Oh, there was so obviously still some Anakin left inside that monster, Ahsoka thought.

“Yes,” Ahsoka said, “I _know_ that. That is not what I meant. I want to know why. One moment you told me that with any luck the war would be over soon and the next it was, but with a completely different side taking over. And apparently it cost you your _body and soul_. As someone loyal to Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker’s _friend_ I believe I deserve to know why. What made you switch sides?” Ahsoka finished carefully, hoping she wasn’t crossing a line. But she probably was.

“Careful Ahsoka, before you sound treasonous,” Vader warned. But Ahsoka wouldn’t take the bait.

“How is this treasonous? I’m not saying that the Dark Side is wrong. I just want to know what pushed you towards it. I wasn’t there to see it. I wasn’t there to follow you, like I always planned to do,” Ahsoka said, putting every fiber of herself behind that statement. She had to make him believe.

It stayed silent again. Ahsoka almost deflated. It wasn’t working. But then…

“I saw through the lies of the Jedi, just as you did. And I realized the Emperor had much more to offer. It really is as simple as that,” Vader stated, his voice somehow sounding even colder. How was that even possible when every sentence he said was monotone due to the vocoder?

Now came the hard part. Ahsoka had to pretend not to know the answer to the following question she would ask. “Then how did you end up like this? Did you burn yourself or something? Did the Dark Side do this to your body? And the fact that you lost your other remaining limbs, apparently. Who did this to you? And that suit is a life support, isn’t it? You can’t function without,” she asked.

And suddenly white-hot rage pushed past Ahsoka’s senses. That wasn’t good.

“ _Kenobi happened._ He turned _her_ against me and then tried to kill me. Cut me down and left me to burn on one of these cursed rivers!” Vader growled out. It was almost shouting.

That, compared with the rage she felt from him, made for a whole different story than the way Obi-Wan told it. It must’ve been awful for Vader. Ahsoka couldn’t image. And… her… it must be Padmé. He thought she’d betrayed him.

Ahsoka was rendered speechless. Even though she already knew the story, it still had such an effect on her. She looked down. “I know it’s not a very ‘Dark Side’ thing to do, but I want to say that I’m sorry for what you’ve been through. I heard that Padmé died and-“

Ahsoka never got to finish her sentence. Vader was once again in her face. “ _Don’t say her name!”_ he snarled at her.

Nodding slowly, Ahsoka began anew. “I heard what had happened. I’m sorry for your loss. I know what she meant to you,” she said slowly, carefully.

And apparently, she’d hit a nerve. So many feelings were flooding Ahsoka. Vader had lost complete control of his shielding. She felt everything he felt. And it was way too overwhelming. He grieved so much. Ahsoka really felt bad for him. This only convinced her more of the fact that she just had to save him.

“ _You need to leave,_ ” Vader suddenly commanded in a low and menacing tone. Ahsoka knew he was dead serious and that this was her last chance. Therefor she scrambled to comply. She did not run—really, she didn’t. Running wasn’t graceful in this situation—but she was out of that room awfully fast, though. she basically raced back towards her assigned quarters. Once there, she let herself think again.

Vader hadn’t killed her. Once again, she’d crossed the line, and he’d spared her. That had to mean something. Anakin had to be in there somewhere! For him to confess everything he’d just did. She was on the right track and she would continue this way until she succeeded or died.

Ahsoka fell down on her bed, completely exhausted from all her emotions. Maybe tomorrow she could think more clearly on this. For now, she needed sleep. Lots of it.

* * *

Darth Vader was furious, and dare he admit, confused. He had confessed things to Ahsoka, things that he’d sworn to never talk about again. Things that he should kill her for, now that she knows.

But he hadn’t.

She’d disobeyed direct orders. She should’ve known better than to come here. But Vader hadn’t done anything to Ahsoka other than keep her frozen in place for a small amount of time. And confess to things that had happened to-to Anakin Skywalker. And he didn’t know _why?_

There was something about Ahsoka that just pulled him out of this endless darkness that he’d sunken so deep into. He had wrapped himself so tight in the Dark Side since becoming Darth Vader that he didn’t think it possible to feel these feelings that he did now.

And then he’d brought _her_ into the conversation. And Vader should have really totally ended Ahsoka for that. He did not want to be reminded of _her_. But he’d just cut Ahsoka off and that was it.

There was just something so light about her, and Vader couldn’t explain where it was coming from. But her light pulled on him. It somehow made him _weak_ and unable to act against Ahsoka. He had to figure out how to deal with that, because he wasn’t planning on letting her out of his grasp.

He would deal with this, and he would not let himself be this open again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, I know that there are aspects of this chapter that aren't correct with canon or legends. But I had this idea in my head and I needed a way to make it work and this was what I came up with. 
> 
> It's allowed. I added the tag of Canon Divergence so... I can decide what I want :p


	30. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka goes through a transition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, yes, I'm late. Fuck sake. But this time I do have an excuse. Last Saturday, I got sick with a migraine. I wasn't able to look at any of my devices for 3 days without torturing myself with pain. I decided that I didn't want that torture, so I didn't write. That left only monday and tuesday to write. And I didn't make it. I wrote most of the chapter only yesterday, but it wasn't enough to update.
> 
> BUT, next week, Wednesday, is my birthday. I decided that as a present from me to me, I wanted to have the chapter up on time. I've already started writing it today and it's well underway :)

It had been several weeks since Ahsoka’s nerve-wracking encounter with Vader. It gave Ahsoka new determination that she would see her plan through. She was giving it her all. Every waking moment, Ahsoka spend training and learning. All to show Vader she was ready to be at his side. That she could do this ‘Dark Side’ thing. That she was serious about all this.

And it was _hell_. Training with a Sith was nothing like training with a Jedi—yes, even if said Sith and said Jedi were technically the same person.

Training as a Jedi had been hard and demanding, but also rewarding. It came with gentle nudges and positive energy.

Training with a Sith was completely opposite. The only thing similar was the ‘hard and demanding’ part. It was torture. Literal torture. Ahsoka had to keep up the pace and work or bad things would follow. Lucky for her, she had a goal to reach which helped her push through and keep up. So far, she hadn’t disappointed and received no real torture. Not yet at least.

But dear god, Vader was a vastly different teacher compared to Anakin and due to this experience Ahsoka will _never_ complain about Anakin’s teaching again. Because once again his teachings were the reason she was surviving all of this.

Ahsoka understood why the Sith—or at least Vader—used this kind of training. She was aware of her allegiance to the Light Side of the Force. Anger and frustrations were paths to the Dark Side. Albeit slowly, Vader was using these methods to push her further towards it. And although Ahsoka hadn’t abandoned the light, she won’t deny that the pull to the dark was certainly there after constantly getting beaten in training.

So there Ahsoka lay, on her bed. Her body was littered with bruises and lightsaber cuts and grazes. If she focused on it, she could still feel the electricity from the electrostaffs she’d been hit with.

The droids Ahsoka trained with were trained to fight an opponent like her with a Jedi fighting style. They attacked viciously and if she used her usual defensive style, she was sure they would’ve ended her already. The settings the droids were in forced her to switch to a more aggressive style. And more aggression meant more influence of the Dark Side.

It was a brilliant plan to push her more into the darkness, Ahsoka had to admit. But that was mostly because no actual torture was involved. She had heard stories of mental and physical torture so bad that it forced people into a Fall towards the Dark Side. Ahsoka was only slowly pushed into it. And as long as she didn’t resist the pull, hopefully that would be all that would be done to her.

But one thing felt off. In her weeks of extensive training, Ahsoka hadn’t once faced Vader directly. He never engaged her. And it frustrated Ahsoka for some reason. Did he not think she would last against him? Was she not worth the physical effort? The thought made Ahsoka let out a huff. Stupid. She would show him, alright. She was ready for him.

With that thought in mind, Ahsoka turned on her bed. She let out a grunt as her sore body protested, but finally sleep claimed her after a long day of training. 

* * *

It took another two weeks for confirmation finally came that Ahsoka was on the right path. She’d been forced to meditate and was currently seated at the very same platform that only weeks ago had caused her body and mind great distress.

But now, here she was, calmly seated near the ledge with a great view of the planet below. But Ahsoka wasn’t focused on the view. She had her eyes closed and was deeply submerged into the Force.

It was a sign that Ahsoka was getting used to this place—to the Dark Side, to be specific. It could be seen as a horrible thing. Obi-Wan would certainly see it that way. But to Ahsoka it was an accomplishment. She hadn’t Fallen, but she had accepted the Dark Side and in turn it had accepted her. Yet, Ahsoka still held her Jedi believes high and didn’t feel compromised. She counted that as a win.

So, Ahsoka sat there when she heard footsteps approaching. She pulled herself back from meditation and stood up to face Vader, who now stood right in front of her.

“You have performed adequately. You are ready for the next phase,” Vader said, immediately getting to the point. Oh well, he was a man of few words. Another big change Ahsoka had to get used to the first time she came here.

Ahsoka waited patiently only for Vader to hand her a box. And this was familiar. Ahsoka had terrible déjà vu. She opened the box slowly, and indeed found her lightsabers inside. She set the box down and took them out.

Only to feel that something was wrong.

Her lightsabers… they didn’t feel right. They were screaming at her. The crystals… they were in pain. Terrible _pain._

It wasn’t hard for Ahsoka to guess what that meant. She’d expected it, of course. Both Vader and the Inquisitors had them as well. She’d honestly been scared she’d get one of those horrible spinning staffs. This, at least, was a pleasant surprise.

Taking a breath, Ahsoka activated the two sabers, just like the last time Anakin gave them to her. Only this time they weren’t blue. They were indeed, as expected, this horrible red.

Ahsoka showed nothing on her face, but on the inside it hurt to feel her crystals scream at her. They were no longer hers. They’d been corrupted. They served a darker purpose now.

Just like she was supposed to do. 

Ahsoka spun the sabers around experimentally, but with every swing she made, the screams got worse. Ahsoka had to actively keep herself from wincing. She would have to just deal with this. Eventually she would grow used to it, just as she did the feeling of the Dark Side all around her.

It would be okay.

Ahsoka deactivated the lightsabers and hung them on her belt. She bowed her head slightly in acknowledgement of the situation.

Vader took that as his cue to leave, as he turned around without saying a word.

Ahsoka stared after him, waiting for him to be a safe distance away, before she sighed softly. With that she turned back towards the vast planet and sat back down. She took one of the sabers off her belt and held it in her hand. She just stared at it.

“I’m so sorry,” Ahsoka said to the crystal as she mourned silently for it. This had been her first kyber crystal. The one she’d found the first time her group had gone to Ilum. This lightsaber had been with her longest. And when she’d lost it during her unplanned escape out of the Republic detention center, Anakin had searched for it, tweaked it, and kept it safe. And now he was the one that had destroyed it.

Ahsoka had distanced herself from the Jedi, but this had been the last thing she still had from her life there. And now it was gone. The only thing left was the saber itself, crafted by her hands. But that meant nothing without the right crystal inside.

Unable to hold it any longer, Ahsoka dropped the lightsaber to the floor. She let out a more audible sigh this time and sunk back into the Force. There was nothing she could do now but accept what had happened and move on. With that though she released her feelings into the Force, just as she’d been taught by the Jedi.

* * *

Later that evening, when Ahsoka returned to her quarters, she was greeted by Vaneé.

“There is something in that room for you. You are expected to wear it from now on,” he told her.

Ahsoka was highly curious of what he meant. Was she getting an Imperial uniform? Was it like the one the Inquisitor wore that she faced on Corellia, or was it more the standard type Imperial uniform?

Curiously letting her mind wander around the possibilities, Ahsoka opened the door and was greeted with her new uniform, laid out in layers on her bed. There was definitely armor there, which led Ahsoka to believe that it was Inquisitor-like.

Ahsoka thought of trying it on but decided against it. She was tired. She moved her new uniform over to another part in her room and laid down on the bed. Tomorrow would be time to change. Now it was time to sleep.

* * *

But sadly enough, Ahsoka’s night wasn’t as calming and relaxing as she’d hoped. She’d been plagued by nightmares. The very same she’d started to have all the way back on the Devastator. That was weeks ago. Ahsoka had hoped that it was just irrational fear, but with the Force having returned to her, she didn’t know if that was the case. What if it really was a vision? What could she do to prevent it?

Ahsoka decided not to think too much about it. Being afraid would not do her any good in trying to control herself against the Dark Side while pretending she wasn’t resisting. She checked the chrono. She still had about an hour before Vaneé would come to collect her again. That would be enough time to change into her new outfit.

It was a uniform that quite resembled her Mandalorian getup that she’d worn during the Siege of Mandalore. The only obvious difference was that it was black and grey. And it had long sleeves. On her shoulders was the Imperial Emblem. It also came with a headband. One that looked quite a lot like the one she’d worn during her year away from the Jedi Order. Only this one was plain black. And there was a small button on the side. When she pressed it, a visor appeared before her eyes, hiding the top of her face behind black glass.

It was clear this outfit wasn’t meant to hide her identity. The other Inquisitors were hidden behind helmets and masks. She had no helmet. They wanted to show her off. And Ahsoka would just have to deal with it. This was her look now. She could not go against it.

Ahsoka adjusted several pieces to create more maneuverability, but other than that it was fine. The finishing touch was adding her lightsabers. The Sith red lightsabers. Ahsoka was sure that if she were to look at herself right now, she wouldn’t recognize herself. The only thing that would be missing would be those horrible Sith golden eyes.

Ahsoka knew she didn’t have those. And she knew she wouldn’t be going to get those. She stood there, in the middle of her room, in her new Imperial Inquisitor uniform with Sith lightsabers and told herself she would not Fall. She was ready to go above and beyond to save Anakin. But she would not let herself slip over the edge.

Using darkness was not the same as Falling to the Dark Side and letting it control you. And that was what Ahsoka had planned. She would use the darkness. She would never let it control her.

Because het plan to bring Anakin back wouldn’t work if she’d Fallen before he was redeemed. After that, she couldn’t care less about what happened to her. If Anakin was back, she wouldn’t be needed anymore. The twins would have their father, and the Empire would’ve lost a major asset. The Rebellion would’ve gained one and they could do without her.

Ahsoka wasn’t important. And she knew that. She was prepared to sacrifice herself when the time came, for people more important than her.

But to be fair, Ahsoka would rather die than Fall. She didn’t want to hate her friends like that, she didn’t want to fight them like that, and she didn’t want people to remember her like that.

Yet, for now, Ahsoka would do what she has to. Anything for the mission.

And with that in mind, Ahsoka stepped out of the room and let Vaneé escort her to her next day of training. To her next day within Imperial life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Ahsoka kinda goes through a transition. Just like this chapter, which kinda also was a transition. Whoops. Next chapter will pick up with the important stuff again. Although, Ahsoka did get some important stuff this chapter which is a preview of what's to come for her.


	31. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am honestly so very angry and disappointed with myself. Last Thursday I started this chapter with utmost confidence, and then Sunday I got stuck. But I promised myself (and you) to get this chapter up today. So I just decided to get out there what I had and just see what happens. Yes, that is the reason this is fucking terribly short. I'M SORRY :'(
> 
> At least I fulfilled my birthday present for myself. That does make me happy. I try not to let this get me down because this day has been one of the best birthdays ever in my life. Please be considerate of my personal feelings and not slam me into the ground because of this chapter.
> 
> I have more of an explanation in the end notes. Please read those.

Ahsoka’s days had started to blur together. Every day it was wake up, start training, meditation, more training, back to bed. It was tiring.

But today was different. When Vaneé came to collect Ahsoka, he told her she was expected in the hanger bay. She couldn’t possibly comprehend why. Were they going somewhere? Was this a different kind of training?

Ahsoka just didn’t know. And she hated not knowing what was expected of her after weeks of doing the same thing over and over. But she couldn’t do anything about it. She’d questioned Vaneé on what Vader had planned, but he was tightlipped. Ahsoka couldn’t even make out if he actually knew or not.

Ahsoka just let Vaneé escort her towards the hanger. She would hopefully learn soon enough what Vader had in store for her.

* * *

They were indeed going somewhere. Once Ahsoka had reached the hanger she was led inside a transport shuttle with a squad of stormtroopers. Within a few minutes, they took off. Ahsoka had asked where they were going but was met with complete silence; both by Vader and the stormtroopers.

Ahsoka hadn’t tried to say anything after that. So with that, the flight was spent in complete silence. At one point the pilot informed them that they were approaching their destination. ‘Nur’ the pilot had said. That name didn’t mean anything to Ahsoka. She’d never heard of it.

Sneaking a small look outside of the cockpit viewport, Ahsoka was met with the sight of a water moon. They hadn’t flown far, so this moon must still be in the Mustafar system. But why were they here? What was on this moon?

Not long after that they landed at a facility. Vader left the shuttle first, and Ahsoka was escorted out by the squad troopers that had accompanied them. They came to a standstill closely behind Vader.

In front of them stood several people. They were dressed in the same kind of outfits as Ahsoka and they carried lightsabers that were awfully familiar to her. It wasn’t hard for her to figure out what they were supposed to be. And continuing that line of thought from there, she figured out where they must be.

This must be the headquarters for the Inquisitors. And with _that_ thought came another. What did it mean for Ahsoka that they’d come here?

The only answer Ahsoka could come to for that question was that it could be nothing good.

The Pau’an at the center of the small welcome committee spoke first. “Lord Vader, we were not expecting your arrival,” he said cautiously, but with a hint of boldness to it.

“It matters not,” Vader started, “I have brought a new inquisitor.” His hand gestured to Ahsoka, standing off to the side.

Suddenly all eyes shifted to her, but Ahsoka could show no reaction to what Vader had just said. Yet, she was terribly disappointed. She wasn’t here to become an Inquisitor. If Vader were to leave her here, she wouldn’t see him all that often. And how was her plan supposed to work if she weren’t near him?

Ahsoka would not let herself be intimidated by all the stares. She stared right back with the best authority face she could manage, her head held high. They continued to assess her a moment longer, before the Pau’an turned back towards Vader.

“I see. The Sixteenth Sister will be welcomed into The Chamber, Lord Vader. I will see to her,” the Pau’an said, motioning for the troopers to escort her inside.

But Vader held his hand up, stopping the stormtroopers from moving Ahsoka forward. “No need,” he said, “she has been trained and tested. In fact, she is more capable than any of you. She will hold a higher rank than that.”

Ahsoka had to use all her willpower to not complete gape up at Vader. Was that… a compliment? Did he just compliment her on her skills? That was new.

The Pau’an seemed to hesitate at that. “There are no positions higher up, my Lord. This has never happened before,” he said.

Vader stared down at the Pau’an. “If my memory is correct, the Second Sister has not yet been replaced since her execution. Be careful, or you will be next, and I will give her your position, _Grand Inquisitor,”_ Vader growled.

The Grand Inquisitor showed no outward fear of Vader, but it was obvious that the Pau’an had suffered at his hand. By the reactions of the other few inquisitors standing by his side, so had they. They were weary of the Sith Lord, and all with good reason.

Eventually the Grand Inquisitor conceded. “Of course, Lord Vader. The Second Sister will be implemented in the system,” he said.

That seemed to satisfy Vader, at least a little. He stood back and motioned for the stormtroopers to lead Ahsoka inside. She wanted to protest. She _had_ to stay with Vader. But she couldn’t voice those thoughts. She had to go along with his ideas. He was her boss now.

Ahsoka fell into step beside the troopers as they led her inside, the inquisitors following along. She stole one last look behind her and saw Vader walk back inside the shuttle as the doors to the facility closed.

She’d lost him. This was a major setback. What was Ahsoka going to do now? She had to get back with Vader. She didn’t want to hunt Jedi. That wasn’t why she came here for.

Ahsoka had to be careful to keep her thoughts hidden. She could feel the Grand Inquisitor inconspicuously prodding at her mind. It was very faint, if she wasn’t looking out for her thoughts, she would’ve missed it. But Ahsoka was trained in shielding. She’d perfected the skill after the Order fell and the Empire rose. She knew when someone tried to read her intention, and she knew how to project the right ones.

Ahsoka was led deeper and deeper inside the facility. And the further she got, the bigger her fear became of not knowing what to do. For now, she just accepted defeat. She would see what she could do here. It would all be okay. She would figure out how to continue her plan shortly. First, let’s get to her initiation with the inquisitors, which Ahsoka knew would be coming.

* * *

The inquisitors were a strange bunch. They completely ignored her but made it very obvious that they despised her. And Ahsoka didn’t even know what she did wrong. Was this just a thing they did? Or was it because she seemed to be favored.

Ahsoka was highly aware of the fact that all of these people had been tortured, one way or another. All she had were bruises. And suddenly she got appointed the name of Second Sister and that was it. They must envy her for it.

Several of them—Ahsoka was not yet aware of all their ‘names’—had come to her to basically interrogate her about her past. She ignored every question. She didn’t want them to know anything about her. She didn’t want to be here. But she would not let the other inquisitors provoke her. All they wanted was a reaction, something to fuel them. Just like bullies.

Ahsoka avoided most of them and spend all of her time on her own. She would make it through this. She would wait for Vader to show up again and talk to him about this.

It would be okay.

* * *

Speaking of the inquisitors, Ahsoka was partly right about them. They did envy her. But they were also angry, oh so incredibly angry. Because they could feel something about Ahsoka that she wasn’t aware of.

Ahsoka was Light, so exceptionally Light. No matter how much darkness she pulled around herself, her core was light. And they picked up on that. And that wasn’t the problem, necessarily. Many of them had come into the program with still light inside of them.

The difference was that they had gotten it tortured out of them. Many of them had been physically tortured and their minds had been violated in the worst way. Others had lost parts of their body, despite already having given themselves fully to the Dark Side. But the ‘Second Sister’ over here had no such things happen to her. And she still walked the line between Dark and Light.

How could that be? What did Vader see in her that he just let her be? What kind of special skills did she have that she was placed above them all?

It didn’t matter, they would test her and put her back in her place. If she were to be one of them, they would treat her like one of them. They would fight and maim her, just like what had been done to them. She would regret walking in here with her head held high. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so. I have something to say. 
> 
> This story has done so much for me. It has taught me a lot and made me a lot more confident in myself. But I've reached a certain point a writer hopes to never reach. I have so many ideas and I'm completely stuck. I've come down with a major case of Writers Block. I put myself on an updating schedule because otherwise I would start procrastinating. And it has worked very well, but now I'm falling behind. I'm working my ass off to get up to schedule and it's heavily affecting my writing. It makes me lose confidence and motivation to write. 
> 
> That said, I will never discontinue this story. I have every major plotpoint outlined till the end. I just lose it at the stuff in between. BUT I WANT TO FINISH THIS AND I WANT TO DO IT WITH YOU!
> 
> I believe it would be best to just take a step back and remove my weekly schedule. I will definitely continue to upload, but at my own pace. That way the writing will improve for you, and I can get my time and motivation back. 
> 
> (also, I've started two new projects that I love very much but I just don't have time for because this story takes up every waking moment of my free time trying to get words on paper that just won't fit.)
> 
> ((Also, also. I'm planning a major review of this story. Seeing if I can improve it. Expect this chapter to be the first one in that major rewrite))
> 
> THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS SHOWN THEIR SUPPORT! WHETHER IT WAS WITH A KUDOS, A COMMENT, OR SEVERAL COMMENTS. I LOVE YOU! I CONTINUE WRITING FOR YOU! *speaks in small voice* please don't leave me.
> 
> Until I see you again. Hopefully soon. 
> 
> Oh, before I forget: IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES OR FEEDBACK ON A PREVIOUS CHAPTER OR THE STORY IN GENERAL, TELL ME! I WILL WRITE IT DOWN AND TAKE IT WITH ME IN MY REVIEW/REWRITE OF THE STORY! SEE WHAT I CAN DO WITH IT. THANK YOU!!


	32. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I returned, after almost three weeks. I took a much needed break from writing for two weeks. I've been reading and interacting a lot with other fanfics and I've been reading several Star Wars novels that I recently bought/got as a present. It has really helped me center myself. 
> 
> Since last week I've slowly picked up writing again, and I've had a lot more time to think things through now that I don't pressure myself to throw it out there. I would've liked to give you more, but the chapter ended quite well at the point it does now, so it's fine. 
> 
> That said, I am quite nervous to put a chapter out again. For some reason I feel like, with the time I took to center myself, some of you will have started to dislike this story? Which is more than fine. You're allowed to have your own opinion, but that does scare me. 
> 
> Please be nice to me, tho. My mental health isn't as steady as I would like it to be :/

Ahsoka had expertly avoided her new ‘colleagues’ since the moment she’d arrived at Fortress Inquisitorius a little over a week ago. She did everything alone, skillfully making sure that her path didn’t cross with any of the other Inquisitors. She ate and trained at ungodly hours to have her privacy. And it was working.

But it was also taking quite the strain on Ahsoka. Togruta worked and lived better in groups. It was ingrained in her genetics. But for the last 3 months, Ahsoka had been completely alone. And that was taking its toll, given that she was being mentally and physically ‘tortured’ in training, for lack of a better word.

The fact that she now trained at night and almost didn’t sleep wasn’t a big help either.

Yet, Ahsoka would gladly continue to be alone. It was better than training with a group of sadistic, Jedi-hunting maniacs—

Ahsoka paused her thought-process for a minute there. That was quite a hypocritical thing to say, given that she _wanted_ to spend time with Vader, an even bigger sadistic, Jedi-hunting maniac.

But that wasn’t the same, Ahsoka told herself. She had a reason for joining up with Vader. She did not have a reason for being here, with the Inquisitors. That was as good an excuse as any.

Was Ahsoka practically disobeying the rules by avoiding everyone and not training like they did? Yes, yes she was. But it’s not like the Inquisitors really did anything with that. There was nobody who had the authority to do so. Yeah, the Grand Inquisitor maybe, but she hadn’t seen that guy since he dropped her in the building to fend for herself.

Ahsoka didn’t much care for it. What were they going to do about her ‘misbehavior’? Complain—no, report, they would never complain. They were _so obviously_ above complaining. How _dare_ she even suggest that—to Vader about her? Let them. She could handle Vader. She wanted him to come. But so far, she hadn’t seen a sign of him either.

Had Vader just dropped her off here and abandoned her? Because then Ahsoka might as well just return to the rebels. She was not spending the rest of her time in this hellhole.

* * *

So, it was another ungodly hour in said Hellhole, and Ahsoka was just leaving for training. She knows that technically she doesn’t have to make herself train, since she’s already disobeying every single rule there is in this Fortress. But Ahsoka wanted to. She was surrounded by enemies. She couldn’t afford any slip-ups.

Ahsoka made her way through the dark hallways and into the equally dark training room. She knew her way around since she always trained in the dark. It was a great way to maintain her senses in feeling her surroundings and it had the least chance of alerting anyone that she’d been here.

Ahsoka just took her position in the middle of the room, ready to start on some kata’s. Suddenly the lights turned on. Ahsoka had to directly gain control of her nerves to not visibly startle. She was immediately focused. Surrounding her, were a group of 10 inquisitors.

It hadn’t occurred to Ahsoka that she was so deep in thought that she’d been out of tune with the Force. She should have noticed the other occupants of the room in an instant, but she hadn’t. It infuriated her. They weren’t meant to be able to get the drop on her. That wasn’t part of the ‘avoid everyone’ plan.

“She finally shows her face. Some of us were starting to think that you were a myth. Something to make us work harder. But here you are. Our ‘special’ new addition,” a Mirialan Inquisitor—Ahsoka didn’t bother to know their designation—drawled. Ahsoka stared at the Inquisitor with a blank expression. She’d been taught to show no reaction because that was what these people fed off of.

All ten beings around Ahsoka continued to stare at her—studying her. But the Togruta in front of them did not give anything away. She was composed and stoic. She looked calm, but if only they knew.

On the inside Ahsoka was in turmoil. She hadn’t planned on dealing with ten of her new ‘colleagues’. Not tonight—not ever actually. Their intentions were very clear; they did not like her. And they wanted her gone. So much so that they are currently working together to make it happen.

Yes, Ahsoka was aware of the constant conflict for power within the Inquisitorius. They all wanted to be the best, which was not unexpected. Ahsoka had learned that their ranks went by number in their names. So, for her to be the Second Sister, meant that she was one of the highest ranking. Without doing anything for it, in their eyes.

It was a Zabrak male that spoke up after the long moment of silent assessment. “Would you just look at her, holding herself so high and mighty. As if nothing can touch her,” he said.

A Twi’lek continued on the Zabrak’s statement. “But that’s not how it works, _princess_ ,” she spat. “We fight for our place here. And so will you.” And with that she activated her lightsaber. And so did all the others.

Ahsoka was illuminated in red, despite the lights being on. Their lightsabers were overwhelming. Every single one of the Inquisitors had the same saber—which Ahsoka had expected, but it was still a strange thing. She’d been given her own lightsabers back, albeit corrupted.

So, if Vader’s objective had been to dump her with the Inquisitors, why hadn’t she gotten one of those spinning monstrosities? Did Vader really value her that much? Was she worth holding that individuality? She’d gotten a different lightsaber and different style uniform than the others.

It made Ahsoka think that she might actually still be important to Vader. And that gave her a new spark since she’d lost part of it when she’d been dumped here. She still held some sway over his feelings! She could still do this.

But before Ahsoka’s thoughts could wander further, she was rudely pulled out of them when the Force screamed at her in warning. She was only just fast enough to pull out her lightsaber, activate it and block a strike that otherwise would have severed her left leg from the rest of her body.

Completely on instinct, Ahsoka pushed the lightsaber away from her body and created distance between her and her opponent. She looked up with wide eyes as they locked on her opponent. It was the Twi’lek that had spoken last. She was smirking at her as she got ready to attack again.

Ahsoka quickly grabbed her shoto and activated that as well. She crossed both blades in front of her to block the next overhead attack the Twi’lek threw her way. With all three sabers directly in front of her face, Ahsoka’s vision was bathed in red. It wasn’t a good sight. She could hear all the crystals screaming. It was disorienting.

“Interesting lightsabers you have there. Another something ‘special’, I see,” the Twi’lek said. The entire sentence was said with so much venom as the woman started to push harder.

But Ahsoka wasn’t going to give into it. She pushed back with all the power she had, making her opponent stumble away. And Ahsoka could stay on the defensive and just let her opponents come at her, or she could end the fights like she’d been trained to do for the last many weeks.

With that in mind, Ahsoka charged after her opponent before she could recover. Lashing out, she swung both her sabers in wide arcs towards the Twi’lek, who had to activate the dual part of her saber to block both strikes. Now it was her opponents turn to stare at Ahsoka with wide eyes. She obviously hadn’t expected Ahsoka to jump to the offensive. But it was only for a second. Inquisitors couldn’t show weakness.

The Twi’lek tried to swing at Ahsoka, but the Togruta didn’t give her any room. Ahsoka pushed forward, overwhelming her opponent with quick strikes and athletic maneuvers.

For the Twi’lek this was highly unexpected. She hadn’t expected for the Togruta in front of her to be the more skilled fighter. She’d underestimated her. And before she knew it, something hit her head and her world went black. 

Ahsoka stared at the woman on the ground. She’d used the Force to throw some training equipment against her head, effectively knocking the Twi’lek out.

It was clear none of the other occupants in the room had expected this outcome. All of them stood still for a second, staring at Ahsoka. But it only took a small moment for them to snap out of their stupor and back into reality.

The Zabrak and Mirialan recovered first and charged immediately. It was clear they fought together more often because they moved very in sync—feeding off of each other’s anger and using it accordingly.

At moments like these Ahsoka was infinitely more grateful for her shoto and the fact that she’d been trained in Jar’Kai by Anakin. And for the first time she could say that she was also thankful for Vader’s training. Because both of them had taught her how to deal with this kind of fighting, and therefore Ahsoka was able to parry easily.

Ahsoka deflected each blow expertly. And although it looked franticly chaotic, she was in complete control of the situation. She let her opponents gain ground on her for a little bit, letting them push her back. That way she gave them the idea they were winning, which would likely lead to overconfidence. And that would be their downfall.

Ahsoka had faced many opponents in her life who suffered from overconfidence. Albeit with different skill levels. All of them made the critical fault to underestimate her and overestimate themselves. In the end that always led to them not being able to win.

That didn’t mean Ahsoka always won, but at least she always got away. And that was her objective here as well. She didn’t need to win. She needed to be able to get away. They wanted to show dominance over her. But Ahsoka didn’t feel the need to show dominance over them by besting them.

There was nothing Ahsoka had to prove to these people.

It was once Ahsoka was driven far enough to the corner and the expressions of her opponents started to change towards pride and satisfaction, did she strike. She lunged forward, evading a swing from the Zabrak as she brought her shoto up to clash against his lightsaber, close to the handle. The unexpected move and the force of it send his lightsaber flying out of his hand and across the room.

Ahsoka ducked low to avoid an attack from behind from the Mirialan and threw her right hand out, sending the Zabrak—who was still stunned from losing his lightsaber so easily—flying across the room.

Throwing her body in a spin, Ahsoka stuck her leg out and let the Mirialan trip over it. With a yelp, she fell to the ground. Ahsoka quickly jumped back up and stepped on the Mirialan’s lightsaber, disengaging it, and rendering it useless. With her own lightsaber she pointed towards her neck and stared her down. Very inconspicuously she deactivated her shoto and hung it off her belt.

“I never said I deserved to be here or that I was special, but I don’t let people bring me down like that. I don’t like to think of myself as better than others, but you are no match for me,” Ahsoka said towards the Mirialan.

Then Ahsoka turned her gaze back up towards the other 7 Inquisitors in the room. “Anyone else like to try something?” she asked.

Behind her, Ahsoka felt someone approaching fast. She spun around halfway and reached out with the Force. With a strong pull she yanked the lightsaber out of the human’s hand and into her own. The human immediately stopped. Ahsoka regarded the saber in her hand as she spun it around slowly.

Without another word, she raised her lightsaber and cut it in half. Sparks flew out of it, but it didn’t faze Ahsoka. At this move the human who it had belonged to openly gaped at her.

Ahsoka dramatically opened her hand and let the broken pieces fall to the ground. She looked around the room once more.

“Yes, I didn’t think so. _Leave me alone,_ ” Ahsoka ground out. And with that statement made the disengaged her lightsaber, turned around, gathered her stuff, and left the room. On her way out, nobody stopped her. But she hadn’t expected them to.

They had wanted her to prove to them that she held the position of Second Sister. And although she hadn’t planned or needed to prove anything, she still ended up doing so and Ahsoka was fairly confident it had worked. The fight had given her a thrill that she hadn’t known she’d missed. She knowns Inquisitors would leave her alone after this, at least for the time being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got to write some more BAMF Ahsoka, which I liked very much. I will try to write the next chapter at an acceptable pace, but I can't promise anything. 
> 
> I want to thank anyone that has shown support since I shared my struggles last chapter. It means everything to me. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart, and much love to you <3


	33. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehe. So, remember when I said that I would try to write the next chapter at an acceptable pace, and then just dipped for a whole month. Yeah, me too. I'm sorry XD. But things happened in life and I just couldn't find the mental state to write. 
> 
> This entire chapter has been written during that whole month, so it might be that there are inconsistancies that I overlooked. 
> 
> Once again, terribly nervous to put this chapter out. Had a lot of difficulty with it. So please be nice, but don't hesitate to tell me what you think.

Information of Ahsoka’s confrontation with at least half the Inquisitorius spread fast through the Fortress. Ahsoka still got a hostile impression from them, but it was more the jealous type, than the ‘I will attack you’ type of hostility.

That change in attitude was part of the reason that Ahsoka had stopped her self-isolation and was now roaming the halls more freely. Here and there she would get nasty stares, but she’d found that if she just stared back, they would leave her alone. A lot of them were on assignments most of the time anyway.

To say that Ahsoka was glad the change occurred, would be an understatement. It made her life a whole lot easier. She was now free to explore the Fortress without having to actively hide from people in the dark.

Today was one of those days filled with exploring. And Ahsoka was currently entering another hallway with new rooms she hadn’t seen before. The Dark Side was thickly present in this part of the Fortress, pressing down on Ahsoka’s senses. It was an uncomfortable feeling.

Ahsoka entered one of the rooms, only to come face to face with all kinds of torture equipment and a torture table in the middle. All kinds of presences lingered there. Without reaching out, Ahsoka could already feel what had transpired here. All kinds of Jedi whose light had been snuffed out here.

Ahsoka could even recognize the presences of some of the Inquisitors. She wasn’t psychometric, but their experiences were so heavy that they pressed on Ahsoka’s mind, wanting to be viewed. It made her sick. A lot of these people stuck in the program never even had a choice. They’d been brought here, tortured into submission, and forced into the Dark Side.

And they wouldn’t submit, they’d die. And Ahsoka knew this because the feeling of death was just as heavy as the darkness and pain. She stayed to study the equipment a minute longer—in case she would ever come in contact with them, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to know what to expect. But after that minute, Ahsoka really had to leave.

The Force was giving her a headache, and Ahsoka left for her room to rest a bit and write down what she’d found. She’d been keeping records of everything she encountered here to give to her rebel friends. Every piece of information could be of use to them.

* * *

It had been hours, but Ahsoka’s headache didn’t lessen. She’d tried sleeping, but her mind felt so clouded with feelings of tortured Jedi, she needed to relax.

Ahsoka made her way towards the training rooms. She sought out the center of the room, activated her lightsabers, and closed her eyes. Ahsoka started going through some of the basic kata’s she’d learned all those years ago as an Initiate in the Jedi Temple.

Not long after she started, Ahsoka entered a meditative state, opening her mind to the calming flow of the Force around her—filtering all light and dark in her mind, quietly dissolving her headache of tortured feelings.

It was a trick she’d learned from Anakin in the early stages of being his Padawan. Meditation was an important part of being a Jedi, especially in training. It was a form of bonding for a Master and Padawan. But it quickly became obvious that Anakin wasn’t particularly good at it. He could never find the concentration to stay still, which made for the fact that they could never meditate together for more than a few minutes. It weighed heavily on their bond that they couldn’t meditate together. But then Anakin introduced her to the way he usually succumbed to the Force. Tinkering or practicing katas.

It had been a whole new thing to experience for Ahsoka, and in the beginning, she’d had as much difficulty mastering this as Anakin did with normal meditation. But it didn’t take long for her to grow accustomed to it. She’d been quite the energetic person, so meditating with something to do was actually quite refreshing for her.

But in this instant, it was a must. Meditation was a practice that opened you up to the Force. But not only that, it opened you up to others as well. And Ahsoka couldn’t have herself openly meditating in front of others. Because then it would become obvious that she wasn’t as submerged in the Dark Side as she let on. Now it would simply look like she was training her kata’s and extending her senses.

And speaking of her senses, they suddenly spiked. Ahsoka had no idea how long she’d been submerged in the Force, but suddenly it flared up, and it was screaming DANGER. Ahsoka quickly pulled herself back into the physical world and spun around, just in time to block a lightsaber from cutting her skull clean through. She staggered back, completely surprised by the force of the attack. Once she regained her footing and looked up, she came face to face with the same Zabrak that confronted her all those nights ago. His face was cast in a dark shadow and he looked murderous.

Ahsoka was completely surprised by this. Had she done something? She thought back hard to everything she’d done the last few days to warrant this reaction but came up empty. Was this a reaction to her beating him that night? Then he sure took his time planning his revenge. Ahsoka did her best not to show her confusion on her face and focus on her opponent.

The Zabrak had started circling her, and Ahsoka tracked his movements with her eyes. His movements were predatory. He was stalking his prey. But Ahsoka wasn’t used to being prey. She was a hunter. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked.

The Zabrak growled at her, not unlike an animal. “Training,” he replied. Ahsoka just huffed. As if she was stupid. He obviously wanted a fight. She wanted to ask why but had the feeling that he wouldn’t be very talkative.

Oh well, guess she would find out after she’d won. If it is a fight he wants, it’s a fight he’ll get. Ahsoka shifted her stance, and that was the Zabrak’s cue to attack. He spun his staff at her, and she pulled her sabers up to block him. He immediately went in for another attack, but Ahsoka didn’t plan on playing it on defense today. Ahsoka jumped at him, forcing the Zabrak’s attack into a defensive block.

They continued to exchange blows like that, until their sabers locked together—both pushing for dominance. Ahsoka saw her opponent getting frustrated. “You could always train with someone else,” she said mockingly. Again, the Zabrak growled at her. It seemed to be the only reaction he was capable of giving. He disengaged the lock and with one swift swipe, aimed for her neck.

Ahsoka felt it in the Force. She wouldn’t be able to get her saber in the right position to block in time. He would behead her. She frantically reached out into the Force and pushed. Her opponent stumbled backwards, just out of range, and missed her head, just barely.

Ahsoka was already shocked by this fight, but the outright attempt on her life was a new development. “Why do you want me dead?” she demanded.

“Because you’re in my way,” was the only answer Ahsoka got before he attacked again. But she was done with this. She wasn’t going to fall to some Inquisitor, and she was done playing as well. It was time to end this. He didn’t deserve to live anyway.

Ahsoka pulled out every trick she had. She wore him down by moving quicker than he ever could, and then she finally saw her opening. Not in his saber-work, but in his stance. Once again, Ahsoka reached out with the Force. This time she pulled him forward. He stumbled a few steps towards her. And immediately Ahsoka jumped into action. She spun around and with a precise swing, cut clean through her opponent’s wrist.

The Zabrak let out a scream. His hand—with the saber still in its grip—fell away. He grabbed at his arm, but Ahsoka didn’t give him time. She advanced on him quickly, fire in her eyes. She was beyond furious. Within a few seconds she had him against the wall, lightsaber pressing at his neck.

“Why did you attack me? **Answer me**!” Ahsoka demanded as she held her lightsaber closer, now singeing his neck.

“If I were to defeat you, I would get your position,” he breathed out. It was obvious he was in excruciating pain from his arm but was trying to hide it.

But that statement made Ahsoka falter. He would get her position? But that didn’t make any sense. Only someone high up could order that. And she didn’t see the Grand Inquisitor taking such a risk. So that must mean—

And suddenly the darkness around Ahsoka made sense. He’d been here all along. Kriffing Vader. She felt his presence behind her. She turned slightly and looked up. And indeed, there he stood, on a balcony overlooking the training room, watching her. She couldn’t believe him. Anger coursed through her.

Ahsoka spared another look at the Zabrak. She’d planned to get rid of him, but now she figured that was the last thing she should do in this situation. That would be exactly what Vader would want from her. And after this, she didn’t want to indulge Vader.

With a powerful kick, she slammed the Zabrak back into the wall. The hit to his head hard enough to knock him out. He slumped down.

Ahsoka spun around once again to stare back at Vader, the fire in her eyes now even brighter than before. She was going to get answers. She stared a moment longer before making her way over to him, not sparing the unconscious Zabrak another glance. He was not her problem anymore.

* * *

At the same time, hidden out of sight, somewhere between the Force and the physical realm, sat a green and white convor. Her piercing green eyes stared at the furious Togruta below her. The very reason why the convor was here.

It was her job to protect this Togruta. She had done so for years. Ever since her previous form had given her life to save the Jedi Padawan from certain death.

Always staying in the shadows, the convor had been with the Togruta since leaving Mortis. She’d seen her on trial in front of the entire Republic Senate and Jedi Order and send all the positive energy she possibly could. She fed the Togruta’s decision to leave the Jedi Order and so be away from the darkness slowly suffocating it.

She had been with the Togruta when the Jedi fell, and the clones turned on their Jedi leadership. When the Jedi Order was slain by one of their own. She had watched over the Togruta when her friends started firing on her. She had made sure that the Togruta did not die that day. She had been there when she’d gotten to a ship and got away. And she’d made sure that the Togruta was unable to reach the heart of the conflict.

She had watched over the Togruta during her years wandering the Galaxy. Always flying high but making sure to keep the former Jedi in sight.

And it was going quite well for the little convor. That was, until the moment the Togruta had decided to join the Sith. This rattled the spirit of the convor’s former form.

The Daughter had never expected Ahsoka Tano to willingly turn to the Dark. She was aware of all that happened in the universe, including the Fall of the Chosen One, the Master and friend of Tano. But she had never expected Tano to actually follow down that path. And she couldn’t let that happen.

Morai was here to protect Ahsoka. And she would do just that.

With the transfer of the Daughter’s life essence into Ahsoka, she’d received a portion of the unwavering Light that the Daughter represented. It was something Ahsoka herself was unaware of. And it hadn’t been a big deal during the time the Jedi still roamed the Galaxy. But with the dark cloak of the Sith now pulled tightly over everything, that light shone through quite brightly.

Morai had already seen that it had been noticed by the Fallen Chosen One. And it had pulled on his Light as well. And that was a good sign. Because she knew that the Chosen One had to return to the Light in order to fulfill his destiny and bring balance to the Force.

And for that it was important that Ahsoka Tano did not Fall as well. And Morai wasn’t stupid, even if she was a convor. She knew fully well that Tano should have Fallen already if the circumstances were normal.

But that was just it, the circumstances weren’t normal. Because Ahsoka had part of the Daughter in her, just like Morai herself. And that was all the convor needed.

Because it had been Morai all along who had kept Ahsoka in the balance by continuing to pull on that unwavering Light deep within the Togruta’s core. Every time Ahsoka got pulled under by the Dark, Morai would pull on the Light to make sure that balance was maintained. It was tiring for the convor, but she was a spirit. Per definition, she was immortal. But again, even immortals could get tired.

But it was all worth it to Morai. Even though she couldn’t keep Tano from tapping into the Dark Side, she could make sure that the Light remained. In the end it was all about balance. And although Ahsoka Tano wasn’t the Chosen One, she did play a big part in having him fulfill his destiny. And for that the Togruta had to remain in balance as well.

And so Morai followed the Togruta down the halls, on her way to meet her Sith Master, as the convor heavily pulled on the Light to keep Tano balanced. Her green eyes glowing brighter as Ahsoka’s darkened with the fire of her anger.

But Morai would calm the Togruta down. This was her job; this was the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And finally the explanation is there for why Ahsoka hasn't Fallen. 
> 
> I'll see ya when I see ya I guess (hopefully not a whole month next time ;)


	34. A/N

Hi everyone,

So, this is not a chapter. The clock just hit 0:00 in my country, which means it is feb 9th, 2021. That means this story is officially 1 year old now. It also means that it’s been almost 4 months without an update. I am so sorry. I have not abandoned this story. 

What happened is this: after the october update my work got crazy. I got more hours to make up for sick colleagues. I told myself I would slowly work on the next chapter when I had time. Then, litterally the first of December, my dad got a positive test on COVID-19. We went into quarantine, but it was already too late. Everyone in my family was contaminated. Well, everyone except me. I was forced to wear a mask around the house at all times, live alone, eat alone. No hugs, no physical contact. I am a physical person. 

A week later I had a huge hyperventilation attack due to the mask use. I never had one before. Ever since that moment my anxiety has gone through the roof. I get panick attacks about 4 times a week and I’m on medication which make my body and mind very calm, but also very tired and unresponsive. I really want to write but my mind and body just currently can’t. I have a whole draft written for the next chapter and about 1/4 of the finished product. I promise to keep working. 

But I couldn’t let this baby’s birthday pass without spending time with it. I’ll be returning to work for the first time in 10 weeks today, so I’ll buy myself a small cake to celebrate that huge step in my personal health and this special birthday. Thank you for those who’ve read this story and those still waiting to read more. I love you. I think of you a lot. 

Stay strong and until we meet again <3

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are so very much appreciated. I always accept feedback :)


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